The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1912-02-01
CHAPTER VII.

In no blaze OF glory did Burnin;
Daylight descend upon San Francisco
Not only had he been forgotten, bu'
d Klondike along with him. The
world was interested In other things
the Alaskan adventure, like the
spanish War. was an old story. He set
aied down in st. Francis Hotel, was
interviewed by the c~ub-reporters on
the hotel-run. and received brief para.
graphs of notice for twenty-four
hours.
Several months passed in San Fran.
cisco, during which time he studied
me game and it's rules, and prepared
himself to take a hand.
firing OF being merely an onlooker
ne. ran up to Nevada. where the new
goid-mining boom was fairly started
Just to try a flutter," as he phrased
u to himself. The fiutter on the To.
nopah Stock Exchange lasted just ten
days, during which time his smash.
ma, wild-bull game played ducks and
brakes with the more ~stereotyped
gamblers. and at the end of which
lime, having gambled Floridel into
MS fist, he let go for a net profit OF
haf a million. Whereupon, smacking
his lips, he departed for San Fran.
cisco and the st. Francis Hotel. II
tasted good. and his hunger for the
game became more acute.
n once more the papers sensa.
uonalized him. BURNING DAYLIGHT
was a big-letter headline again. In.
reviewers fiocked about him. Old
nles OF magazines and
we're searched through, and the no.
mantle and historic Elan Harnish,
Adyenturer OF the Frost. King Of the
klondike, and Father OF the Sour
coughs, strobe upon the breakfast ia.
Die OF a million homes along with the
toast and breakfast foods. Even be-
fore his elected time. he was forcibly
launched into the game. Financiers
promoters, and all the flotsam and
Jetsam OF the sea or speculation
surged upon the shores OF his eleven
millions. In self-defence he was COM
PEELED to open Offices. He dabbled in
little things at first-"stalling for
time" as he explained 1t to Holds
worthy. a friend he had made at he
Alta-Pacific Club. Daylight himself
was a member Of the club, and Holds.
worthy had proposed him. And 1t was
well that Daylight played closely at
hrst, for he was astounded by the
nultitudes OF sharks-'ground-sharks,"
he called them--that fiocked about
aim. He saw through their schemes
readily enough, and even marveled
that such numbers of them could find
sufficient prey to keep them going.
Their ~rascality and general dubious
ness was so transparent that he could
not understand how any one could be
taken in by them.
Sc ft was that he resolved to leave
the little men, the HoIdsworthys,
alone: and. while he met them In good
Fellowship, he chummed with none.
and formed no deep friendships. He
did not dislike the little men, the men
Of the Alta-Pacific. for instance. He
merely did not elect to choose them
Tor partners in the big game In which
intended to play. What this big
game was. ever he did not know. He
was waiting to find It. And in the
he played small hands. in
vesting In several arid-lands reclama-
hon projects and keeping his eyes
open for the big chance when II
should come along.
And then he met John Dowsett. the
great Joha Dowsett. 1t was the first
Big magnate Daylight had met face to
lace, and he was pleased and charmed.
There was such a kindly humanness
about the man. such a genial demo-
.:raticness, that Daylight found It hard
realize that this was the John Dow.
lett, president of a string OF banks. |
insurance manipulation. reputed ally OF
be lieutenants OF Standard OIL. and
Enown ally OF the Guggenhammers.
gor did his looks belle his reputation
nd his manner Physically. he guar
nteed all that Daylight knew OF him.
his sixty years and snow
hair, his hand-shake was firmly
earty. and he showed no signs OF
ecrepitude. walking with a quick.
happy step. making an movements
eflnitely and decisively.
IT was not long afterward that Day.
ght came on to New York. A letter
'om John Dowsett had been the
ause--a simple little typewriter let.
y ~ several t1ass. hut DAYLIGHT