Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-10-20


city wanderer at which we smile so Of
ten, 81 would rather be a hmppost on
Broadway than king any here else"
But respite was at hand A letter to
Mr.. Oswald making appaAntly casual
inquiry as to whether he had heard any
thing further of the Gold Queen sale
elected the following characteristic re-
ply:
If you are coping yourselves up in the City
Of Mexico because you are afraid to return on
account of any troublesome developments in
the Gold Queen business, you may as well
come back at once. The Englishmen have not
yet discovered their blunder, and do not
think they ever will. have a good story to
tell you which it is worth your while to come
1900 miles to hear Meet me at dinner on the
9th, usual time and place, and I'll tell you the
story. There's no place like homel
Within three hours the two specu-
lators were on the way to New York.
When the second bottle of champagne
had been opened at Mr.. Oswald's din
ner, the host lit a cigar, saying that he
supposed they were dying to hear his
story.
The lips of the two twitched q little
and hardly perceptible pallor indicat-
ed passing nervousness.
"When the Scotsman got to the
mine" Oswald began, "the manager
took him to Gold Queen, No. /, as you
or as we-arranged. He remained I'M
derground As hours. The manager was
cautioned not to lose sight of him for a
moment, but he gave in after SO hours
and went home to bed, as the Scot look
ed like spending a week in the bowels
of the earth. When the manager re-
turned, IL hours later, he found Gaskell
just coming to the surface. In reply to
his inquiry he said he had completed
his investigation and would take some
rest. Whether this was merely a blind
to put the manager off his guard or
whether he changed his mind l don't
know, but after he had seen the other
descend the mine and had had some
breakfast he took the map which you
gave him ont of his valise and proceed
ed very carefully to compare it-first,
with the boundaries of the No. mine,
which some loafing miner pointed out
to him at his request, and then with
the map of the same mine hanging in
the company's Office and which the
manager had stupidity omitted to re-
move.
GAS nearly as can be computed, it
took that fellow just about five min
utes to detect the trick. OF course this
is mere guesswork, for the man himself
was as silent as clam. The profundity
of his silence when he unraveled our
tangled plots arouses my admiration.
after he learned the game he plao-
idly deecended mine No. 2, the one Of
which he really held the option. He
remained in that mine just 16 hours,
and all that time the manager conclud-
ed he was in bed and asleep. I'm sure
l don't know why, except ON the as
sumption that man must sleep some
| time.
with the assistance of an old Mexi-
can miner, who practically lives down
| in that mine in one of the shafts, he
thoroughly explored the mine, more es-
pecially at that part which is in q
straight line with the rich vein in
! No. /.
'He had to all appearances some
! queer theory about that vein, for he and
tine old Mexican worked for more than
IL hours cutting in its direction. The
result of these efforts was lit was ascer-
tanned after the purchase) that while
the Mexican slept Gaskell struck a con-
tinuatiOn of the vein belonging to No.
/. Having satisfied himself that he had
struck the true vein and after taking
out several specimens of the ore he care
fully covered up his find, awoke the
old man and returned to the surface.
"You will understand the discovery
Gaskell had made when tell you that
from the vein in No. l to where it was
identified in No. 2 is just 700 yards, OF
which 500 run through the land of No.
2, so that eleven-fourteenths of the great
vein belong TO the mine that Gaskell
bought
"Well, gentlemen, Gaskell sold that
mine to his syndicate-it was his own
venture-for $3.50, 900, half cash, hall
stock, and his syndicate sold it to the
public for 81, 800, 900. The new com.
pany has already taken $500, 900 out OF
the mine in four months working, with
the prospect of taking out 20 times as
much i'll the nexttwo years. The Scots
mans profit of 1925, 900 taken in stock
is now worth $1,000, 900 in the mar.
ket."
Marble and his associates gazed al
each other fixedly for a minute, and,
although their eyes spoke volumes, NJ
word was uttered. The situation was
altogether too deep for words. With
one impulse they rose in grim silence
from the table. 81 find the air in thi.
room suffocating," finally calculated
Gilbey. "Let us CO."
AS the now silent trio passed into the
vestibule in making their exit to Fifth
avenue Oswald shattered his preternat
ural calm by calculating, "Great Jupi
terP' The exclamation was not surpris
ing, for there. coming toward them
was Mr.. Gaskell, the man they hat
done their best to swindle and hil
bride, the beautiful and queenly Madge
For moment a wavering in the ranks
of the three was perceptible and JUS
the suspicion of desire to stampede
but the expression ON the experts face
treasured them.
"My dear, he said, addressing hi
wife, "let me present to ~ some
friends of mine who once rendered me
a very great service-somewhat mad
vertently, it is true'-a faint shivel
shook the three-"but nevertheless {
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