Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1910-04-06

CHAPTER III.
By Charles Carvice

Jack a lecture in the churchyard, MISS
Diana Melford was reclining on
couch in the drawing-room of Mr..
Melfords house, the Pines. Now, if
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.
Ii was a large room, and expens -Ve-
" decorated and furnished. Tho bH-ng-
ings were of subdued colo, 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-roOn of the Pines
and that of her Grace the Duchess of
Omnium's excepting. perhaps, that
everything was rather newer and
fresher than an Omnium House.
No doubt if ar. Melford had ha / 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 a plank empty, and
pushed it up full. He did this many
hours a day. and was tolerably well
paid for it-fOr navvies get good
wages. Now, most navvies spend three
parts oil 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-fOuTths.
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-looking-
and still sober-the maiden attracted
by so extraordinary virtue-for her
father and those about her drank like
fishes-tOok fancy to Mr.. Melford
and ran away with him.
The father, who was French
man, having cursed his daughter in
the most approved fashion washed his
hands of them; but he drank and died.
MIR. Melford thereupon borrowed some
money, and stepped into his place.
am aware that there is nothing
wonderful in all this, and that it is
..ather commonplace, but what was
wonderful was Mr.. MelfOrds luck. He
took a 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
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
isfied. He was worth a 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 ant
stupid. They were talking about Bel
GUM, and the words iron rails We're
whispered.
MIR. Melford, who was not by an!
means as stupid as he looked, got GU
al the next station. went down tt
Middlesboro and purchased so man!
thousand tons of iron rails. which a
this time were cheap. Two days afte
he sent in an estimate to Belgium anC
got the contract. not only for th'
rails but for the railway And he mad,
up his million.
The moral of the story is-Neve
whisper monetary secrets in railwa!
carriage before third party
Mr.. Melford became therefrom ia
nous man. He went into Parliament
figured as a director of great city com
panies, was justice of the peac,
and a conservator.
But with all his wealth and his fam,
he remained the same heavy-eyet
stupid looking man as the Samue
Mdlford who had wheeled a barrow
and shoveled clay in the railway cut
tings; his hands were huge and rec
still, and his back bent by the year:
of trundling barrow up and down ;
plank.
Mrs. Melford had died soon aftel
the million was made. but there wer,
SON and dauoht -Cavnnnur anS n;