Hidden Gold

at interest to Gordon Wade h

nds of his friends, that he frequently used his political influence to back up the many business enterprises in which he held an interest, and in which the greater part of his quickly-made fortu

he felt confident of winning again, and accordingly, maintained his lavish expenditures and luxurious style of living, with no word of caut

fe, and it was not surprising that Helen and her mother were both undisturbed by the gathering storm, but continued to live a

stige by the Senator's political reverses, she continued to entertain so extravagantly in her palatial home

ind, the easiest way to accomplish that ambition was to persuade Helen to marry Maxwell Frayne. He had

so persistently, for she, too, had social aspirations, though being more clear-sighted than her mother, she dreamed of w

noyed by Wade's choice of a ranchman's life, and by his settling down out of the world, as she considered he had done. Her letters to him, te

t to wait till Wade should tire of the wilderness, as she fully expected him to do, and should return to her. S

he stood little chance of re?lection, when his term of office should expire, and meantime

er, partly because of the latter's liberality, but more, perhaps, because of the hope

in his speculations, he came to h

s the name of being a scientific sharp who knows his business from A to I

ia in '49. It's so big, he says, that he's scared stiff, thinking he can't grab enough of it, and he don't know, no

d?" asked the Sena

but what it's on his place, but even if it is, there is no reason why he should have any of it. The expense will be pretty heavy to do the thing up right, but if you're game, I reckon we

the scheme, first securing the services of a skilled metallurgist and an equally capable engineer, who were liberally paid and solemnly sworn to secrecy. He sent them out to verify the discoverer's story, and sent Moran to Crawling Water, to establ

more surveys before doing that, so as to be sure of getting all there is, and we can't do that without giving the whole sna

ope on the one hand, and anxiety on the other that he came on Helen one eveni

, when she failed to notice some trivial questi

t him with l

ling

t think of him too much. Better l

o I ha

nator

at he was probably going with other girls

hap, you know. I've got nothing against him, except that he isn't good e

. "I care so very much for him that if I really thought there was another girl, I

ently pinche

t there anyway. But do you realize what Craw

mind that

u to balk at a few difficulties. There's somebody else out th

Mor

nt, that the man might prove dangerous if his love for Helen were too openly scorned. That she could scarcely tolerate him, despite his ability and force of charact

here for some ti

answered his letters. I've been curious to hear from him again

e so because you've

p curled i

ut there. It's all so very mysterious. Do you know, father,"-She playfully shook her finger at him-"this is the first time in a l

hed, and Helen laughed at what she t

about Gordon. Honestly, father, I'm serious abou

o is thinking

referred to him once or twice in a way that

homestead lands out there that I want to get hold of for an investment. Wade will

wi

it to be otherwise." The Senator appeared strangely nervous, despite his effort at self-control. "Wade as a man and a

t this over

there with you, after all,"

ht that over for a mom

hich proved to contain a dozen clear photog

o he wrote on the back of the print, by an obliging cowboy. The girl's face was a study in amused scorn as

ere were also pictures of the marvelously beautiful countryside, but as she neared the end of them, Helen was disappointed to find none of Wade. "Of course, he wouldn't send me one o

with one hand resting on his pony's flank. The man was Wade. With his other hand, he was pointing ahead, apparently for th

e its work well, and the figures of the two stood out from the distant background with stereoscopic clearness. Wade was smiling at the girl, who seemed to be laughing ba

the print, Mo

wnswoman, Miss Dorothy Purnell, whose beauty and general