Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1910-04-07
CHAPTER ilI.

Melford's house, the Pines. Now, IL
any one imagines that the drawing.
room was respondent with gold and
barbaric colors, the sooner he dis
abuses his mind the better. 1t was
nothing of the kind.
1t was large room, and expensive
~ decorated and furnished. The hang
Sings were of subdued color, the or
namentation in true aesthetic style,
furniture of exquisite taste. What few
pictures there were, were water col
ors by the best masters, and worth
nearly a guinea an inch; in short,
there was no difference in style be-
tween the drawing-room of the Pines
and that of her Grace the Duchess Of
Omniums excepting. perhaps, that
everything was rather newer and
fresher than an Omnium House.
No doubt If Alr. Melford had had his
way, there would have been plenty OF
gold and color, because self-made
men, as a rule, like plenty of glitter
and splendor. Mr.. Melford began life
as a navy; that is to say, he trundled
a barrow down plank empty, and
pushed it up full. He did this many
hours day, and was tolerably well
paid for it-for navvies get good
wages. Now, most navvies spend three
parts of their wages in drink, and the
fourth in the mere necessary means
of existence. Mr.. Melford proved an
exception to the rule. He didn't spend
more than his fellows for bread and
meat, but he saved the remaining
three-fourths.
A sober man gets on in most trades
Mr.. Melford got to be foreman. While
foreman he learned to read and write
and by lucky fiuke found himself in
the contractors Office.
The contractor had a daughter. Mr.
Melford being rather good-looMng-
and still sober-the maiden attracted
by so extraordinary virtue-for her
father and those about her drank like
fshes-took fancy to Mr.. Melford
and ran away with him.
man, having cursed his daughter in
the most approved fashion, washed his
hands of them; but he drank and died.
Mr.. Melford thereupon borrowed some
money, and stepped into his place.
j am aware that there is nothing
wonderful in all this, and that it is
rather commonplace, but what was
wonderful was Mr.. Melford's luck. He
took contract to cut new line, and
the first day he struck upon Bath
stone. Every truckload he cut was
worth-whatever Bath stone is worth
instead of being worthless clay, and
Mr.. Melford made thirty thousand
pounds.
This was the beginning Of his luck.
Fortune, who never does things by
halves, smiled upon him continuously,
and from contract after contract Mr..
Melford came out the gamer. He was
a rich man; people began to talk
about him. He could have as many
contracts as he liked. Thousands of
men up and down the country waited
on his beck and nod. He was not sat-
isfed. He was worth hundred thous-
and pounds. He wanted to be a
millionaire. Why, he couldn't have
told, because he didn't know, but he
wanted the million all the same One
day while travelling down the Great
South Northern he heard two gentle
men whispering together. They took
no notice of him because he looked,
as he lay back in the corner of the
carriage, so remarkably heavy and
stupid. They were talking about Bel
GUM, and the words iron rails" were
whispered.
Mr. Melford. who was not by any
means as stupid as he looked, got out
at the next station, went down to
Middlesboro and purchased SO many
thousand tons of iron rails, which at
this time were cheap. Two days after
he sent in an estimate to Belgium and
got the contract, not only for the
rails but for the railway. And he made
up his million.
The moral of the story is-Never
whisper monetary secrets in a railway
carriage before a third party
Mr.. Melford became therefrom a "a.
nous man. He went into Parliament,
figured as director of great city COM
panies, was justice of the peace
and conservator.
But with all his wealth and his fame
he remained the same heavy-eyed
stupid looking man as the Samuel
Meford who had wheeled a barrow
and shoveled clay in the railway cut.
tings; his hands were huge and red
still. and his back bent by the years
of trundling a barrow up and down a
plank.
Mrs. Melford had died soon after
the million was made. but there We're
son and daughter Seymour and Di-
ana.
For these two the millionaire con-
sideyed nothing too good The son
had been brought up in the very lar
OF luxury. Like most men who have
had no education, Mr.. Melford ar
tached the most extraordinary i'm.
portance to it, and Seymour and Di.
ana had been provided with the best
and the most expensive masters Sey.
mour had been sent to Eaton and to
Oxford: Diana had received her edu
cation first at an aristocratic boarding
school, and then from the most costly
and celebrated tutors money could
procure
Money was literally no object so fan