The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-08-06

want, Charles Caxton.
So that affair was ended, and Miriam
congratulated herself on having escaped
from her engagement without fuss, un-
pleasantness on scandal. Six months
elapsed. Then further announcement
was made in the columns of certain Lon
don and local papers
"a marriage has been arranged and
will shortly take place between Londen-
derry Silkstone, Esq, Of Wallsend Manor,
X. and Miriam, only daughter Of the
Rev. Theodore Wakefield, vicar Of Y.
1t was soon after this announcement
that Charles threw up his berth at the
bank and suddenly quilted ", without
having communicated his intention to any
of his friends
For several years nothing was heard OF
Charles by his friends iii y. Then one
day a letter was received by one "t them.
dated six or seven weeks previously and
bearing the poStmark dawson City.
The young man wrote in good spirit, and
no wonder, for he had excellent news about
himself to tell. 1t appeared that soon
after quitting Y. he had gone out to Brit
ish Columbia, of which he had heard the
highest reports from a friend Of his who
had settled there previousl y and who IN
vited him to come out and see the country
for himself He had accepted the invl-
tation and. on arriving in the colony, had,
first of all, helped his friend with his stock
raising, the pursuit in which he was en-
gagged But after few mouths they
heard from traveller who visited them on
his way south such glowing accounts Of
the gold finding prospects in the Klondike
region that they were caught with the te-
yer to 90 there themselves and try their
luck.
Fortunately his friend had some capital
at command. Fortunately also they got
into Klondike (though only after consid-
erable hardships) before the boom set in.
They had thus been able to acquire a
small plot from the Dominion government
ON comparatively easy terms, and judge OF
their delight when they found that they
had hit upon one of the riches lots in the
whole district. Charlie friend had had
the sense to enlist at once the services OF
a competent mining engineer, to whom
they had to pay the modest fee Of So, 600.
But in spite of that expense; in spite OF
money (S4, 900, } which they had given
for their plot; in spite Of a wages bill OF
about 81, 400; in spite Of the enormous
price they had to pay for food, they had
| IN, thaIr
season. In the next season they had done
even better. in the season following better
still, and now they were negotiating the
sale of their lot to syndicate at figure
which when added to their already large
takings would make them both wealthy
men (for his friend was most generously
going equal shares with himself) for the
rest of their lives
He went on to add that when the sale
in question was completed and other bust
ness matters arranged he should probably
run over to the old country, in which event
his friends at n might certainly rel y OF
his looking them up, and he concluded by
asking his friend to write and tell him al
the news in the neighborhood.
When the contents of this letter go
about, as they at once did. quite sti
was created in Charles native town, anC
his friend in writing back to him informed
him, half PECULIARLY, that every inhabltan
of X, especially the manageable maidens
were dying to have a personal sight
2 Klondike Caxton, as they had airead,,
christened him.
II have not much news to send you,
said the writer in the course of his epis
tie. Things 90 on here much as usual
Stay! There is one item, though, tha
will interest you. Young SilkstOne
dead He was killed by fall out hunt
ing two years after you went away. $
you see my dear fellow, your faithless littl
sweetheart, Miriam, is now very charm
ING widow. 1t looks as if Silkstone hat
not left her nearly so well off as was ex
pected, for she is now living in tin,
house in the smallest of small ways, ant
even what she has is to 90 from her II
event of her marrying again-at least so l
is popularity reported. Rather shame o
Silkstone to treat her so, | must say
though, to be sure, she deserves it, in ;
sense, for the way in which she treated
you
No further letter was received iron
Caxton. The next event was his persona
return to Y. a few months later. As re
CARDS appearance, he was not much altered
except for being somewhat tanned by eX
posure to the weather
But in his manner, his demeanor, hi
general air, there was IL very decided
change. 1t was indeed just the change
that might have been expected to resul
from his completely altered circumstances
change from the modest diffdence OF ;
poor young clerk into the full assurance o.
wealthy and successful man. Not tha
. he was in the least arrogant or bumptlou'
or ostentatious But he bore himself anC
could not help bearing himself with tha
almost unconscious self confidence that
great success inevitably imparts. Some O
his friends who fancied themselves particu
larlv observant said they now and ther
detected gleam of contemptuous triumph
in his eve when he met some acquaintance
who, having been coldly neglectful of hin
in his poverty, was now obsequlously cor
dial to him in his wealth, but if such ;
feeling ever betrayed itself for momen
in his eye it was never exhibited either ii
his manner or his conversation.
He was friendly and affable to every one
Even Silkstone's widow, whom he nigh
have been excused for treating witt
hauteu, and who had, on the first occasion
of their meeting again, been obviously
embarrassed, was relieved to find Charles
perfectly pleasant and agreeable, and hi
. demeanor toward her was all the more re
markable because he had previously haC
the reputation of being man who did no
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