The Portland daily press., 1899-12-15

uerfoot" he would hear men fnout -
one another:
"say, Jake, how're you got on todayT'
"Oh, nee enough 70 cover Q nickel-the
dudes luck again"
Harold knew that the sibs and the
laugh which followed II we're directed
against himself, but dogsedly continued
on his seemingly hopeless hunt for that
which meant lie and love to him. At
length matters were getting desperate.
for he could no longer get employment.
II he offered his help. he was told blunt.
~, I'VE don't want the dudes luck here"
Almost worn out with that hope de-
ferrcd which maketh the heart sick, he
paused one day to watch an oldish man
who worked on In his claim almost with
out intermissiou. The old man seemed
irritated, as though he thought the dudes
luck might be contas ious.
what dye wantY' he growled. Il
can't afford to pay for any dudes help"
II want" said Harold, what most Of
us are here for, l guess, and that Is
gold"
well, why don't you look for II stead
Of lonfing around and hindering othersf"
where shall lookY" said Harold In
the half tired, half pettish tone Of one
who had tried everywhere.
"well," said the man. psusing from his
labors and Strengthening his back with
difficulty, III l were you I'd try right
there in the middle of that slew"
This was said with the broadcast wink
to some other men standing near and
was received by them with loud guffaw
of laughter.
To the mems surprise Harold at once
crossed TO the slew IL small depression
of marshy land where stagnant water
gathered) and was soon busily at work.
On the following day he continued and
went down TO the Office and formally en-
tered for the claim. The news spread
that the English dude had staked claim
and was working for gold in the Doggy
slew. A number of idlers hung about
and watched him and amused one an
other with their gibes.
"Say, dude" would come the familiar
impertinence, don't you want a partner
there?"
"Or team to carry off the gold?" from
another bystander.
Then a pause, and another tormsntor
would begin. Don't forget to give me
some shares in the company"
Then, again, Say, dude, how many
thousand'l you sell your claim for?"
with your luck thrown in" added q
further voice.
After a few days Harold's face flushed
with reviving hope. He had found
gold In his unpromising claim, and the
only question was how soon would 1t
give out. Each days work, however,
seemed to yield him a heavier return Of
ore, and at length he found pocket"
which was In itself a fortune. With an
extra heavy load he went down to the
bank and was as usual hailed by another
gold seeker:
Say. anything but water In your
slewW
Nothing much" replied Harold In an
offhand manner. "Only the dudes luck"
The find was too remarkable a one to
remain long unknown, and it was soon
bruited abroad that the dude" had
made nearly a record "pile." At once
Harold Tremayne found himself courted
by those who had laughed and gibed at
him but a few hours earlier. He had
worked for goal that he had never lost
sight of, and before the weather render
ed travelling impossible he made arrange
ments safeguarding his interests In Klon-
dixie and returned to Vancouver, already
the master Of more wealth than that
which Mr.. Bartlett had named as an es-
sential qualification for a son-in-law of
his.
Returned bearded like the pard" from
a place where everything is subordinated
to the feverish lust for gold, Harold had
himself, to use his own words, Shaved
into respectability," and started east with
the least possible delay. He had left Liv
erpool In the early spring and was back
there once more In the early winter. His
vessel arrived In the Mersey about noon,
and directly he got ashore Harold pro-
ceeded to the familiar offices In Water
street.
He was eyed somewhat obviously by
his whilom fellow clerks, who only knew
that he had "chucked up his berth" for
some within. With little trepidation he
asked II Mr.. Bartlett were in and was at
once ushered into the principal partners
sanctum.
"Haw exclaimed that worthy. How
dye do, Tremayne? Back even sooner
than l expected" Then. without waiting
for reply, he rose and called into the
outer office: "Mr. Joyce, can we make a
vacancy for a new juniorf Here's young
Tremayne wants us to give him a fresh
start"
Poor Harold felt in a very awkward
quandary. He could not well blurt out:
"I'vo made fortune. Now may l mar
ry Mabel" Yet that. OF course, was
what his return meant. While Mr.. Bart
lett had gone to the door, the younger
mans eyes fell upon a copy Of The Daily
Post on the desk, and he saw in flash
the following paragraph:
among the passengers by the steam
ship Partisan, due in the Mersey today,
is one of the latest Of the Klondike mil
lionaires, Harold Tremayne, who we be-
lieve only left this city In the early part
of the present year"
Harold's eyes sparkled with amuse-
ment as he put his finger against the par
agraph and pointed 1t out to Mr.. Bartlett
as that gentleman reseated himself. The
usually dignifed head of the firm jumped
from his chair to the door again and call
ed excitedly:
81 say, Joyce. Of course meant Junior
10 fAxs 1aAl