A Millionaire of Rough-and-Ready

d joints the hollow sham of the whole structure. But in more violent contrast to the fresher glories of the other part of the house were its contents, which were the heterogeneous colle

ws" of a Christmas gathering in an old English country house. He stopped and picked up this print, which he had often seen before, gazing at it with a new and singular interest. He wondered if Mamie had seen anything of this kind in England, and why couldn't he have had something like it here, in their own fine house, with themselves and a few friends? He remembered a past Christmas, when he had bought Mamie that now headless doll with the few coins that were left him after buying their frugal Christmas dinner. There was an old spotted hobby-horse that another Christmas had brought to Abner-Abner, who would be driving a fast trotter to-morrow at the Springs!

he meal that Mulrady religiously adhered to in place of the late dinner of civilization-was ready in the dining-room. Mulrady mechanically obeyed the summons; but on entering the room the oasis of a few plates in a desert of white table-cloth which awaited him made him hesitate. In its best aspect, the

fice," said Mulrady, with a sudden

imulation of company. He had just finished, when his Irish cook-the one female serv

on the Christmas Day? And it's me cousins from the o

?" said Mulrady, with another vag

n! But it's the likes of them and myself t

This disturbed him more than the monotony of silence, for he was not a nervous man. He seldom read a book, and the county paper furnished him only the financial and mercantile news which was part of his business. He knew he could not sleep if he went to bed. At last he rose, opened the window, and looked out from pure idleness of occupation. A splash of wheels in the distant muddy road and fragments of a drunken song showed signs of an early wandering reveller. There were no lights to be seen at the closed works; a profound darkness encompassed the house, as if the distant pines in the hollow had m

used by the rain, and was found the next morning with his neck broken in the gully. Don Caesar had to take care of the man's family. Suppose such an accident should happen to him? Well, he had made his will. His wife and children would be provided for, and the work of the mine would go on all the same; he had arranged for that. Would anybody miss him? Would his wife, or his son, or his daughter? No. He felt such a sudden and overwhelming conviction of the truth of this that he stopped as suddenly as if the chasm had opened before him. No! It was the truth. If he were to disappear forever in the darkness of the Christmas night there was none to

e front door and knocked. After waiting in vain for a reply, he knocked again. The second knock proving equally futile, he tried the door; it was unlocked, and, pushing it open, he walked in. The narrow passage was quite dark, but from his knowledge of the house he knew the "lean-to" was next to the kitchen, and, p

ter desolation of the helpless man, remained speechless on the threshold. Then, re

on't do. Look! I've run over here in the rai

ld man, without looking

uneasy return of the strange feeling of awe

alone-like my

ng out just now?" he said, with an affected brusquer

gh-and-Ready

your

e when he can amuse

ht have stayed hom

ight

bstracted conviction far beyond any suggestion of it

said Mulrady, with affected cheerfulness. "Let's have a good time, you

h them," said Slinn, brief

nk you can manage to light up a little more, and build a fire in the ki

im some of his own energy. He then added, "Now, don't you get yourself down aga

party, that didn't come off," he said, apologetically. "I reckon we can pick out enough for a spread. That darned Chinaman wouldn't come with me," he added, with a laugh, "because, he said, he'd knocked off work 'allee same, Mellican ma

" said Slin

363 days off, as I am their boss. I don't mind a man's being independent," he continued, taking off his coat and

real self at this moment than in his counting-house and offices-with all his simplicity as a capitalist. A less abstracted and more observant critic than Slinn would have seen in this pat

g dependent upon our chil

re's some champagne and them sweet cordials that women like; there's jellies and such like stuff, about as good as they make 'em, I reckon; and preserves, and tongues, and spiced beef-take your pi

e invalid, who had lapsed agai

folks think they can't be happy without they're getting outside o' suthin', and my director

o'clock, old man, so here's a merry Christmas to you, and both

but without the hollow echoes of the house on the hill. "I must write to the old

es," added

ovisions," he added, with a laugh. "We're really beholde

have had them-would you?" said

o. A man like you don't want money-you wouldn't spend it. A man like you don't want stocks or fancy investments, for you couldn't look after them. A man like you don't want diamonds and jewellery, nor a gold-headed cane, when it's got to be used as a crutch. No, sir. What you want is suthin' that won't run away from you; that is always there before you and won't wear out, and will last after you're gone. That's land! And if it wasn't that I have sworn never to sell or give away thi

oke in the old man,

fully: "Perhaps you'll wonder why I picked out that spot on the hillside. Well, first, because I reserved it after my strike in case the lead should run that way, but it didn't. Next, because when you first came here you seemed to like the prosp

, rising, with a choking voice. "I wis

y bonds he had put upon himself for the last six months; the insidious stimulant had also put a strange vigor into his blood and nerves. His face was flushed, b

n to think and strength to utter, why I have learnt to distrust, fear, and hate them! You think you kn

nd the patience and energy to carry it out. I selected a spot that had all the indications, made a tunnel, and, without aid, counsel or assistance of any kind, worked it for six months, without rest or cessation, and with scarcely food enough to sustain my body. Well, I m

ector, a man named Masters, who had a tunnel not far away. I managed to conceal from him my good fortune and my feeble state, for I was suspicious of him-of any one; and as he was going away that day I thought I could keep my secret until he was gone. I was dizzy an

wift recollection of the stage-d

to my senses until after my son found me in the hospital. They SAY that-but I tell you to-night, Alvin Mulrady," he said, raising his voice to a hoarse outcry, "I tell you that it is a lie! I came to my senses a week after I lay on that hospital cot; I kept my senses and memory ever after during the three years that I was there, until Harry brought his cold, hypocritical face to my bedside and r

n; go slow," sai

hey were right; no one claimed me. The friends of others visited them; relations came and took away thei

case, and, by studying my eyes, thought that I was not entirely imbecile and unconscious. With the aid of an alphabet, he got me to spell my name and town in Illinois, and promised by signs to write to my family. But in an evil moment I told him of my cursed fortune, and in that moment I saw that he thought me a f

his paralyzed hand; but his manner had bec

ound me still there-I no longer prayed for them-I cursed them! I swore to myself that they should never enjoy my wealth; but I wanted to live, and let them know I had it. I found myself getting stronger; but as I had no money, no friends, and nowhere to go, I concealed my real condition from the doctors, except to give them my name, and to try to

, by my son, who had called at the hospital, as a reporter for a paper, and had accidentally discovered me through my name and appearance. He thought me crazy, or a fool. I didn't undeceive him. I did not tell him the story of the mine t

ou show of your claim?"

f I could find Masters,

sters?" continued Mulrady, with a matter-of-fact gravity, that s

r somewhere since. Yes," he went on, with sudden vehemence, "I know it, I have seen it! I-" His brows knitted, his features be

old man;

letter. I have taken it from his hands and opened it, and knew it was mine by the specimens of gold that we

with an expression of grave curiosity, and said bitterl

," asked Mulrady, w

yes swiftly sou

a secre

N

poken of it

N

man who po

N

hy

ouldn't take

ouldn'

hat man is

ollowed they could hear that the monotono

thought I struck there was YOUR lead, found thr

es

e why you don't w

ness and vanity. You think me bitter and hard. Well, I should have left you in your fool's paradise, but that I saw to-night, when you came here, that your eyes had been opened like mine. You, the possessor of my wealth, my treasure, could not buy your children's loving care and company with your mill

powerful thumbs. After a moment's contemplative survey of the floor between him and the speaker, he raised his eyes to Slinn. They were small and colorless; the forehead above them was low, and crowned with a shock of tawny

our three years in the hospital, and wot you went through at that time. I ain't sayin' it wasn't rough on you, and that you didn't have it about as big as it's made; but ez you'll allow that you'd hev had that for three years, whether I'd found your mine or whether I hadn't, I think we can put THAT behind us, too. There's nothin' now left to prospect but your story of your strike. Well, take your own proofs. Masters is not here; and if he was, accordin' to your own story, he knows nothin' of your strike that day, and could only prove you we

than you hev; but I promise you that from this night forward I will spare neither time nor money to help you to do it. I have more than doubled the amount that you would have had, had you taken the mine the day you came from the hospital. When you prove to me

three years of my lost life, the love and respect of my children? Or do you think that your own wife and children, who deserted y

it. If it is yours, you will give your children a chance to sho what they can do for you in your sudden prosperity, as I shall give mine

en both of his own, and raised it to his lips. Mulrady smiled, disengaged his hand gently, and saying soothi

g air. He had already forgotten the lonely man behind him, for he was thinking only of his wife and daughter. And at the same moment they were thinking of him; and in their elaborate villa overlooking the blue Mediterranean at Cann