WEALTH WITHOUT WINGS. 115

 

mixture of surprise and incredulity in the lawyer’s
tones.

‘‘ No,” was the emphatic response.

‘‘That’s strange! He’s poor?”

“‘ He gets five hundred a year, and has a wife and
three children to support.”

“Why didn’t you tempt him with the offer to get
him a place worth a thousand ?”’

**T did.”

*‘ With what effect ?”’

** He wouldn’t give up the child.”

“ Humph !”

“Isn't it too bad, that a mean-souled fellow like
him should stand in our way at such a point of time?
I could spurn him with my foot! Hah!”

And Jasper clenched his teeth: and scowled ma-
lignantly.

‘“¢T am disappointed, I confess, said Grind. “But
angry excitement never helped a cause, good or bad.
We must have possession of this child somehow.
Martin came down from Reading this morning. I
saw him but an hour ago.”

‘Indeed! What does he say?”

‘The indications of coal are abundant. He made
very careful examinations at a great number of
points. In several places he found it cropping out
freely ; and the quality, as far as he was able to
Judge, is remarkably good.”

‘* Will he keep our secret ?” said Jasper.

“Tt is his interest to do so.”

‘“We must make it his interest, in any event.
No time is now to be lost.”

“T agree with you there. A single week’s delay