WEALTH WITHOUT WINGS. 149

 

Jasper shook his head, saying—

“‘T have more business on my hands now, Martin,
than I can possibly attend to.”

“You don’t know what you are declining, Mr.
Jasper,” urged Martin warmly. “You havn’t yet
looked at the statements which I am prepared to lay
before you.”

“T do know one thing,” was the feeling answer,
“and that is, that I am declining trouble and cost.
About that part of the business, there can be little
question.’

“Then,” said Martin, his manner changing, “I
am to understand that you do not wish to joi me
in this matter ?”’

“Yes. I would like you to understand that dis-
tinctly.” | |

“Very well. Iam sorry you refuse so advan-
tageous an investment of money; for right sure am
I that no other investment you can make will turn
out as this would have done. But, as you have de-
clined, I will not offer a share in my good fortune
to any one else; but prosecute the work to my own
advantage.”

“TI thought you hadn’t the capital to do that,”’
said Jasper, speaking with ill-repressed eagerness.

“Nor have I,” coolly answered Martin. ‘“ The
proposition I was about to make was this—an ad-
vaneé of twenty thousand dollars capital on your
part, to constitute you an equal partner in the mine.
But this you decline.”

“ Qertainly ! certainly! I would not have enter-
tained it for a moment.”

“Exactly. So I have already inferred. I will,

13*