The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-01-26
CHAPTER VII.

In no blaze OF glory did Burning
Daylight descend upon ssn Francisco.
Not only had he been forgotten, but
the Klondike along with him. The
world was interested in other things,
and the Alaskan adventure, like the
Spanish War, was an old story. He set
tied down in St Francis Hotel, was
interviewed by the ctb.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
the game and its rules, and prepared
himself to take hand.
firing OF being merely an onlooker,
he ran up to Nevada, where the new
gold-mining boom was fairly started
lust to try nutter," as he phrased
It to himself The fIutter on the To-
nopah Stock Exchange lasted inst ten
days, during which time his smash.
ing, wild.bul1 game played ducks and
brakes with the more stereotyped
gamblers, and at the end Of which
time, having gambled Floridel into
his fist, he let go for a net profit of
half million. Whereupon, smacking
his lips, he departed for San Fran.
cisco and the st. Francis Hotel. It
tasted good, and his hunger for the
game became more acute.
And once more the papers sensa.
tionaIized him. BURNING DAYLIGHT
was a big.letter headline again. In.
reviewers fiocked about him. Old
files of magazines and newspapers
were searched through, and the no.
mantle and historic Elan Harnish,
Adventurer OF the Frost, King Of the
Klondike, and Father of the Sour
doughs. strobe upon the breakfast ia.
BILE Of u million homes along with the
toast and breakfast foods. Even be.
fore his elected time, he was forclbly
launched into the game. l'inanciers
and promoters, and all the tlotsam and
jetsam OF the sea Of speculation
surged upon the shores OF his eleven
millions. In self.defence he was com.
PEELED 10 open Offices. He dabbled in
little things at tirst-"stalling for
time" as he explained 1t to Holds
worthy, friend he had made at the
Alta.Pacific Club. Daylight himself
was member Of the club, and Holds.
worthy had proposed him. And it was
well that Daylight played closely at
first, for he was astounded by the
multitUdes of ground.sharks, y
he called them-that flocked about
him. 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.
So 1t was that he resolved to leave
the little men, the Holdsworthys
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.Paciiic. for instance. He
merely did not elect to choose them
for partners in the big game in which
he intended to play. What this big
game was, even he did not know: He
was waiting to find 1t. And in the
meantime he played small hands, in
vesting in several arld.lands reciama
ton projects and keeping his eyes
open for the big chance when II
should come along
And then he met John Dowsett, the
great John Dowsett. It was the first
big magnate Daylight had met face tc
face, and he was pleased and charmed
There was such a kindly humanness
about the man, such genial demo
craticness, that Daylight found it hard
to realize that this was the John Dow
sett, president Of string of banks
insurance manipulation reputed ally oil
the lieutenants of Standard OIL, ant
known ally OF the Guggenhammers
Nor did his looks belle his reputation
and his manner. Physically. he guar
anteed all that Daylight knew Of him
Despite his sixty years and snow
white hair, his hand.shake was firmly
hearty. and he showed no signs oil
decrepitude, walking with quick
snappy step, making all movements
definitely and decisively.
It was not long afterward that Day
light came on to New York. A letter
from John DowSett had been the
cuuse-a simple little typewriter let
ter Of several lines. But Daylight
Rough calculations OF some Of the
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