Middletown transcript., 1898-10-15

way 10 De MADE DetoTe ne may % gFs
and all the desire for pleasure, life
good things. quite gone.
It may be supposed that Miss Wolve
ton.put the young man Of the Atlant
out Of her mind. Perhaps she ha
some thoughts of him or else she nevt
would have repeated the story he ha
told her at dinner where her father wa
most usually, her escort. At a din-
ner one owes it as duty to do his part
Nell did not care to be lacking. an
| wanted her bon mot to be as natty a
another's, and her st6ry as spirited
For she waged little strife to max
the world she knew hold her clever
Now she couldn't, try as she would
think of another story than the on'
Melville had told her.
''Mary Winfield introduced me to |
very entertaining man on the Lucanif
"a man who does things, you know
"What does he do, horses or yachts?'
said BERTHE Townley. 30, I say, Nell,
you don't mean that serious faced chap
you were incoming about with SO
much?r
"The very man." Miss WolYertor
said, without turning color.
And she told Melyille's story.
"How extraordinary F' gasped Mrs
Pemberton. "You do meet suct
strange people at sea"
business methods are oftentimes dis
honest, "said Judge forbid, pompously.
"Yet-"
"Your story isn't funny enough, .
criticised BERTHE Tow nley.
Samuel Wolvertan-I should say
"Sam," the great Sam-held his nose
in his port; he's thin, sharp-featured j,
silent man, and looking at him, one
always wonders how he succeeded in
possessing such daughter.
Driving home, he said to Nell:
IF | were you / don't think I'D
try to tell stories at dinner"
"Wby, papa ?''
tits undignifed.
'sDo you think So" she said petu-
lantly. She usually had him well in
hand.
s'What did you say that mans name
is ?" be asked after moment.
s'Burke Melville" !"
Suddenly she turned.
"Papa, you were in California;"
Eyes; what of it ?''
ibid you ever hear a story like
thatP"
~ have heard lot of stories; Cali.
fornia is full of 'em. Read Bret
Harte. AS for your acquaintance, he
was probably yarning y
mo, no, he wasn't"
"What makes you think that?"
she isn't that kind of man,
"Nell, 1 think that you can take
care Of yourself, but don't believe
you can judge men,"
''Oh, trust me for that" she said
airily; and at the moment she was in
deed trying to judge no less person
than her father. She had thought that
she understood him. Had sheP He
was fond Of her; he denien her moth
ing, and she loved him. But-there
were depths she could not fathom; and
she knew no more of his real life, even
less, than an outsider.
But now sudden fear possessed her.
She rushed up stairs to little room
which she used for her writing table
and her books, and eagerly she looked
for paper in certain English maga-
zine, American Millionaires, No. x,
Samuel Wolverton." Had she been
mistaken :? And then she read: "The
beginning of this extraordinary for
tune was in '66, in Red Gulcb, Cali
fornia. Melville and Wolverton were
storekeepers who exchanged sup
posedly, bad debt for the now-famed
Bulfnch mine. Wolverton bought
out his partner.
For a minute the room seemed to
swim.
"Oh, if mamma were only here ~
the girl said, moaningly.
''It's true-true. This is all his,
and not mine, every penny of it. Ard
be knew when be told me; he knew"
And she stole down to her father.
She went toward him, the magazine
in hand, and held it before him. VOL
yerton started. He had never seen her
like this; and her pallor frightened
him. And then he saw TO. what she
pointed ?"
"Was the story be told me trueP"
"What if it wereP"
"What if it were9" she said, mock
ingly. You can't understand, what
If it were.'n
But the father said quietly, with
mastery Of himself:
IF it were true, that Melville
couldn't have succeeded. He hadn't
it in him. He would have failed at
anything. cut loose from him.
s'But you haven't told me whether
the story is true.''
II won't acknowledge nor deny it,''
be said at last. "What of ii? You
ought not to find fault. My money
has made you position as fine as any
o. 'em. y
"Good night said the girl.
At the door be called to her:
Nell, you haven's kissed me good
night"
II can't-to-night.'
And she was gone. !.
"a woman can't understand busi-
ness. She'll get over it.'' But he
failed to sleep well that night, She