"Well, Herbert, what news from the mine?" asked Melville, two weekslater, on Herbert's return from Deer Creek, whither he had gone alone.
"There are some rich developments, so Jack says. Do you know, Mr.Melville, he says the mine is richly worth five thousand dollars."
"Bravo, Herbert! That would make your half worth twenty-five hundred."
"Yes," said the boy complacently; "if we could sell at that figure, Icould pay you back and have two thousand dollars of my own. Think ofthat, Mr. Melville," continued Herbert, his eyes glowing with pride andpleasure. "Shouldn't I be a rich boy?"
"You may do even better, Herbert. Don't be in a hurry to sell. Thatis my advice. If the present favorable indications continue, you mayrealize a considerably larger sum."
"So Jack says. He says he is bound to hold on, and hopes I will."
"You are in luck, Herbert."
"Yes, Mr. Melville, and I don't forget that it is to you I am indebtedfor this good fortune," said the boy, earnestly. "If you hadn't boughtthe property for me, I could not. I don't know but you ought to get someshare ef the profits."
George Melville shook his head.
"My dear boy," he said, "I have more than my share of money already.Sometimes I feel ashamed when I compare my lot with others, and considerthat for the money I have, I have done no work. The least I can do is toconsider myself the Lord's trustee, and do good to others, when it fallsin my way."
"I wish all rich men thought as you do, Mr. Melville; the world would behappier," said Herbert.
"True, Herbert. I hope and believe there is a considerable number who,like myself, feel under obligations to do good."
"I shall be very glad, on mother's account, if I can go home with moneyenough to make her independent of work. By the way, Mr. Melville, Ifound a letter from mother in the Deer Creek post office. Shall I readit to you?"
"If there is nothing private in it, Herbert."
"There is nothing private from you, Mr. Melville."
It may be explained that Deer Creek had already obtained such prominencethat the post-office department had established an office there, andlearning this, Herbert had requested his mother to address him at thatplace.
He drew the letter from his pocket and read it aloud.
We quote the essential portions.
"'I am very glad to hear that you have made the long journey in safety,and are now in health.'"
Herbert had not mentioned in his home letter the stage-coach adventure,for he knew that it would disturb his mother to think that he had beenexposed to such a risk.
"It will do no good, you know," he said to Mr. Melville, and his friendhad agreed with him.
"'It is very satisfactory to me,' continued Herbert, reading from theletter, 'that you are under the charge of Mr. Melville, who seems tome an excellent, conscientious young man, from whom you can learn onlygood.'"
"Your mother thinks very kindly of me," said Melville, evidentlypleased.
"She is right, too, Mr. Melville," said Herbert, with emphasis.
"'It will no doubt be improving to you, my dear Herbert, to travel undersuch pleasant auspices, for a boy can learn from observation as well asfrom books. I miss you very much, but since the separation is for youradvantage, I can submit to it cheerfully.
"'You ask me about my relations with Mr. Graham. I am still in the postoffice, and thus far nearly the whole work devolves upon me. Except inone respect, I am well treated. Mr. G-. is, as you know, very penurious,and grudges every cent that he has to pay out. When he paid me lastSaturday night the small sum for which I agreed to assist him, he hadmuch to say about his large expenses, fuel, lights, etc., and asked meif I wouldn't agree to work for two dollars a week, instead of three. Iconfess, I was almost struck dumb by such an exhibition of meanness, andtold him that it would be quite impossible. Since then he has spent someof the time himself in the office, and asked me various questionsabout the proper way of preparing the mail, etc., and I think it is hisintention, if possible, to get along without me. I don't know, ifhe absolutely insists upon it, but it would be better to accept thereduction than to give up altogether. Two dollars a week will count inmy small household.'
"Did you ever hear of such meanness, Mr. Melville?" demanded Herbert,indignantly. "Here is Mr. Graham making, I am sure, two thousand dollarsa year clear profit, and yet anxious to reduce mother from three to twodollars a week."
"It is certainly a very small business, Herbert. I think some men becomemeaner by indulgence of their defect."
"I shall write mother to give up the place sooner than submit to such areduction. Three dollars a week is small enough in all conscience."
"I approve the advice, Herbert. If Mr. Graham were really cramped formoney, and doing a poor business, it would be different. As it is, itseems to me he has no excuse for his extreme penuriousness."
"How pleasant it would be to pay a flying visit to Wayneboro," saidHerbert, thoughtfully. "One never appreciates home until he has leftit."
"That pleasure must be left for the future. It will keep."
"Very true, and when I do go home I want to go well fixed."
Herbert had already caught the popular Western phrase for a man well todo.
"We must depend on the Blazing Star Mine for that," said Melville,smiling. My young readers may like to know that, while Herbert wasprospering financially, he did not neglect the cultivation of hismind. Among the books left by Mr. Falkland were a number of standardhistories, some elementary books in French, including a dictionary, atreatise on natural philosophy, and a German grammar and reader.
"Do you know anything of French or German, Mr. Melville?" inquired ourhero, when they made their first examination of the library.
"Yes, Herbert, I am a tolerable scholar in each."
"I wish I were."
"Would you like to study them?"
"Yes, very much."
"Then I will make you a proposal. You are likely to have considerabletime at your disposal. If you will study either, or both, I will be yourteacher."
"I should like nothing better," said Herbert, eagerly.
"Moreover, if you wish to study philosophy, I will aid you, though weare not in a position to illustrate the subject by experiments."
Herbert was a sensible boy. Moreover, he was fond of study, and he sawat once how advantageous this proposal was. He secured a privatetutor for nothing, and, as he soon found, an excellent one. ThoughMr. Melville had never been a teacher, he had an unusual aptitude forteaching, and it is hard to decide whether he or Herbert enjoyed morethe hours which they now regularly passed in the relation of teacher andpupil.
It must be said, also, that while George Melville evinced an aptitudefor teaching, Herbert showed an equal aptitude for learning. The taskswhich he voluntarily undertook most boys would have found irksome, buthe only found them a source of pleasure, and had the satisfaction, aftera very short time, to find himself able to read ordinary French andGerman prose with comparative ease.
"I never had a better pupil," said George Melville.
"I believe I am the first you ever had," said Herbert, laughing.
"That is true. I spoke as if I were a veteran teacher."
"Then I won't be too much elated by the compliment."
CHAPTER XXXIV. TWO OLD ACQUAINTANCES REAPPEAR.
Do and Dare — a Brave Boy's Fight for Fortune Page 33