Tom and Grant met with little success during the first two days, and were correspondingly disappointed. After all the high hopes with which they had entered upon this new enterprise, it was certainly discouraging to realize scarcely more than at Howe’s Gulch. But on the third day they struck a “pocket,” and in the next two days took out five hundred dollars.

“That’s the way to do it, Grant,” said Tom, his face fairly radiant. “It pays to dig for gold at this rate.”

“So it does, Tom. I felt sure the old gentleman wouldn’t deceive us.”

“If it will only last, we shall make our fortunes.”

“This pocket won’t last, of course, but we may strike another. You know Mr. Gibbon 237told us he took out ten thousand dollars in six months.”

“That is true, so we may hope for a good streak of luck.”

“There is one thing I have been thinking of, Tom. Where shall we keep our gold-dust?”

Tom looked doubtful.

“If we could send it away,” he said, “it would be better. Of course, if we keep it under our own charge we may be robbed.”

“To begin with, we must not let any one know how well we are doing.”

“That is important. The news would attract adventurers and thieves.”

Finally it was decided to keep the dust for the present in a box at their boarding-place. In the room the two partners found a sailor’s chest which had been left by a former boarder, who had left the house in arrears. Grant bought it of Mr. Crambo for a couple of dollars, and Paul seemed glad to get rid of it at that price. There was a good lock upon it, and into this chest their daily findings were put, till at the end of a fortnight, they had, 238according to Tom Cooper’s estimate, about one thousand dollars.

Of their good luck neither Mr. nor Mrs. Crambo had the slightest idea.

“How are you making out at the mines, Mr. Cooper?” asked Mrs. Crambo one evening.

“So, so!” answered Tom indifferently.

“You’ll never make your fortune at that there mine,” said Paul.

“Oh, well, we are not ambitious,” rejoined Grant. “If we make enough to pay our board and a little more, we shall not complain.”

“I hope you’ll do that,” said Mrs. Crambo. “I have got used to having you here, and should be sorry to have you go. If you should find yourself short at any time, just put off paying your board. I am not afraid to trust you.”

“You are very kind,” said Tom warmly; “but we had a little money with us when we came, and we are doing enough to make it pretty certain that we can pay our board.”

“You wouldn’t if you didn’t work harder than my husband.”

239“My dear,” interposed Mr. Crambo, shrugging his shoulders, “I work as hard as I can. I wasn’t made for hard work.”

“I don’t believe you were,” said his wife. “You never have made a success yet.”

“Except in marrying you,” responded Paul.

Mrs. Crambo smiled.

“It may have been good luck for you,” she replied, “but I am afraid that in becoming Mrs. Crambo I made a serious mistake.”

“I suppose you regret not marrying Silverthorn,” said Paul.

“Silverthorn!” exclaimed Grant and Tom Cooper in unison.

“Yes; his name was Dionysius Silverthorn, and he looked like a preacher. Do you know him?”

“We have met him.”

“He taught a dancing school in Wisconsin—that’s where my wife and I came from—and was rather sweet on her. I think she gave him some encouragement.”

“You know I never did, Paul.”

240“I sometimes think you hanker after him yet, Rebecca.”

“Well, between you and him I am not sure that there is much choice,” retorted Mrs. Crambo.

“I can assure you there is,” said Grant. “Silverthorn is the worst fraud I ever came across.”

“I say the same,” chimed in Tom.

“What do you know of him? My wife will be interested to hear,” said Mr. Crambo.

Upon this the two partners gave an account of their personal experience with Silverthorn, and what they had learned of him through Nahum Stockton.

“Paul,” said Mrs. Crambo, “that settles it. You needn’t be jealous of Mr. Silverthorn. I wouldn’t marry him if I were left a widow to-morrow. For the first time I begin to see that I might have done wor............