The Silver Butterfly

Instead, he strolled into the office and after loitering about there for a few moments, he was just leaving when he encountered Penfield, Horace Penfie

ocial distinction rested on the solid basis of fear. He was a walking bureau of information, a daily newspaper. When the harsh vituperation of those who, having nothing more to lose, had nothing more to gain, occasionally assailed him, he had been heard callously to assert that he preferred being dangerous

his thin, satirical voice. "

ess," said Hayde

ually into a discussion of the merits of certain mining pr

ve you ever heard of the

about them. Upon my word, Hayden," his face flushing with shame, his professional pride sadly wounded, "I'm awfully sorry; but to tell the truth, I can't just put my finger on it. Yet somewhere, lately, I've heard of it. Did I read of it

and he had succeeded in offering no answer to Hayden's question; and although he strove lightly to discuss the various topics whi

t went flying past them, a woman leaned forward and bowed and smiled. It was the lady of the butterflies, and in the white light of

rcia Oldham!"

incess were identical. It was surely one of the most incredible and delightful of happenings. Now Kitty

of course?" a

met her," repli

t that family," m

h he bitterly reproached himself a moment later, for having, as he expr

ghtened up, his crestfallen manner merged happily into jauntiness, h

nance, he lost his grip, and about five years ago he died, heavily involved, leaving a widow and one young daughter, Marcia. Mrs.

never entered into their heads that the wheels could stop. When they did stop, as you can imagine, every one was discussing the poor Oldhams. There was the greates

side. All the women advanced positive opinions on just what they ought to do. The consensus, I believe, amounted to this, that it was the part of wisdom for the Oldhams to sell everyth

ave displayed any lack of money. They live simply, entertain very little; but Marcia who is considered a beauty goes out constantly. She is seen everywhere, dresses quite as well as her school friends, Kitty Hampton and Bea Habersham, with whom she always

ly, I understand," sa

y for her gowns. No, that won't do. But," and a new note crept into Penfield's voice, "did you see that old duffer who was with her

, desperately ashamed of himself

ling it off in spite of the reluctant lady and Wilfred's raving mother; but Wilfred, good, old, thick-witted Wilfred, is becoming daily more uncomfortable. Fido won't lie down and go to sleep on the hearth-rug as Kitty and Bea wish him to. On the

d's company, and put into execution a little plan which was rapidly maturing in his brain, and which appealed to his hazard-loving fancy. It was a mere chance, one in a million, but he considered it worth taking.

l," with a short laugh, "as far as they are concerned, I happen to be in the position

twitched. He scented a fresh piece of news as a dog scents truffles. "Hav

ayden paused a moment on the step. "Come in," he said, "an

f being absent several months, urged him to take possession of the apartment he and his wife were temporarily vacating. After a sight of it, Hayden gladly embraced the opportunity and now,

Horace was patient by nature and training. "One thing at a time," was a favorite motto, and it was not until he had exhausted the possibilities of the apartment an

eplying mechanically to his questions and endeavorin

ad his uses, and the more Hayden pondered the matter, the more he was strengthened in his decision to secure Penfield's assistan

the owners of a certain property, and could, under no circumstances work him an injury, so long as he kept the secret of the situation inviolably locked in his breast, and no matter whose imagination might be fired by the tale, he felt a reasonable security. Experienced prospectors, experts in their line, had been seeking th

e lighted in anticipation of his arrival; easy chairs were drawn near the

ore we came up?" said Hayden, w

y. "You were about to tell me o

t the thing entirely too definitely when you say 'a big find

orace, cocking his head sidewise an

il you wanted. Well, there was a tradition about the place which I heard again and again, and which gradually grew to haunt my imagination; it was that somewhere on this estate was a lost mine of stupendous value; and that although no one had appa

e years! That of course is within the me

suppose I considered all those points? Now to go back into the history of the thing; this

at mansion, the home of Don Raimond De Leon, the owner of the estate, was situated on one of these plateaus and commanded one of the most beautiful views one could dream of. One gazes down the mountain side on fields of corn and alfalfa, green as emerald, and orchards of blooming fruit-t

ata Mercedes Eugenie and all the rest, but they called her Lolita for convenience. The traditions of their rank were always rigidly maintained. They lived in feudal state a

He happened to possess those first requisites of the successful soldier of fortune--a charming personality, a pretty wit, and a most ready address. In a very short time, the hacienda and all that it contained were his. He captured not o

What did you say that name was?" he cried,

erjoyed at the success of his plan. It was evident that Horace knew

coincidence!" m

?" It was Robert's turn to be eager n

head. "Not of it

and showed it. "You evidently know something, but you won'

What I have in mind may be the merest coincidence, probably is. I want to do a bit of thinki

d the don's lovely daughter with the old father's entire approval. They had a great wedding, the festivities l

ife, his name by the way was Willoughby, lived in great magnificence in the various capitals of Europe, maintaining an almost royal state and entertaining constantly

ven write a line to his daughter. His Yankee overseer in charge of the mine was also stricken the same day and followed his employer within a few hours, and the Indian and Spanish laborers on the estate went like

ears confirmed, and to crown their sorrows, Willoughby, after going over De Leon's papers again and again, could find no map of the mine, nor any directions as to

ts, but to no avail. The mine, mentioned always in the don's documents as The Veiled Mariposa, seemed to have vanishe

arge of the estate and returned with his wife to France. Accustomed now for many years to a vast, unconditioned expenditure, he found it impossible to contemplate the comparative povert

chasers to such a degree that he would find no difficulty in securing a sum which would enable him to live in comfort, even luxury, for the remainder of his days. He was not successful in arrangin

nfield. "Why, she was lost at sea; we

re, and that he would shortly write of all the details of the purchase. But from that day to this, the nephew has heard nothing further of the matter. There has been no effort to claim or to take possession of the property. That is, with this exception. Within the last six years, foreign

e estate was sold, for just before sailing Willoughby

edible." Hayden sprang to his feet and began to walk the floor. "That's the question that has been puzzling me for months. What is their game? What does their waiting mean? But that is what I am here for--to t

ually showing something like excitement. "And

used on the hearth-rug and looked down on the gossip in the chair. "I have told you the story because you know everybody and everything abo

ped at a while ago is something that you are bound to run across yourself. I'm not telling all that I know, but I'm willin

ried Hayden. "Come, speak up. Wh

As I can not, at present, I shall just sit tight and look on, occasionally putting my finger just far enough in th

-"what do you mean by predicting that I

re inscrutably than ever and

imself into a chair and moodily lighted a cigarette. He was suffering one of the swift reactions of the optimistic and mercurial temperament, which, if it s

had discovered practically nothing; and yet, here in New York, he had seen Penfield, the imperturbable, literally jump when he had mentioned The Veiled Mariposa; and further, he had assured him that he would hear some word regarding it withi

e had discovered it. Of course, he had been disturbed by Penfield's revelations and innuendoes. No one who took an interest in

am family fortunes. "Nothing left," he had asserted, and yet they continued a manner of life which in

or might not some old friend greatly indebted to the father have come forward in the hour of need? That was not so incredible. Only, only, and this question recurred to hi

it off, he would not have been able to do so if he willed. It seemed to him that he had but to lift his eyes to see her standing there in her black gown, the butterflies shining in the fire-light. Again he looked i