CHAPTER XVI.—THE OLD COLONEL’. DISAPPOINTMENT.
HE FOLLOWING morning Vance took the stage for Gold Bluff. As he neared that little mining town, he found himself experiencing an impatience once more to see Louise Bonifield that was strangely at variance with any former sensation of his life. It seemed to him the stage coach was traveling at a snail’s pace, and even the good natured, “honest intentioned” Steve Gibbons, with all his droll talk of frontier adventure, failed to interest him. Arriving at the hotel, he found the old miner, Ben Bonifield, waiting for him.
“Am delighted to see yo’, Mr. Gilder; I am indeed, suh. I presume yo’r almost famished; pow’ful tiresome ridin’ in a stage coach all day, suh. After yo’ have refreshed yo’self, I shall be pleased to join yo’ in yo’r room. I have a matteh of vehy great impo’tance to discuss with yo’, suh.”
“All right,” said Vance, in his cheeriest tones. “I trust Miss Louise is well?”
“Quite well, suh; quite well, thank yo’.”
As Vance ate his supper a satisfied feeling of contentment with the whole world intruded itself upon him. His advancement in his profession was certainly gratifying. He had received several valuable hints while in Butte City in regard to a new silver mining company that was about to be organized, in which he was thinking seriously of investing a little money. The price was only ten cents a share, which he had been assured, on what seemed to him very excellent authority, would be worth a dollar a share before twelve months’ time. His investment at Waterville was certainly a good one, and he heartily believed Col. Bonifield had good news to tell him about Gray Rocks. In addition to this, he was once more near Louise, that fair vision of loveliness, whose tender blue eyes seemed ever near him. He dropped a coin into the hand of the waiter as he rose from the table, and stopped in the hallway to caress a lovely little child which he found playing hide-and-seek with an older companion, and then made each a present of money with which to buy bon-bons. He hummed softly to himself the air of an old love song as he went leisurely to his room.
Soon after, he was enjoying a choice Havana with Col. Bonifield sitting in a chair opposite him, smoking his briar-root, blowing blue rings of smoke leisurely toward the ceiling. Vance was animated, and spoke glowingly of the prospects of Waterville. Presently Col. Bonifield said:
“Mr. Gilder, we have reached the 300 foot level, suh,” and then lapsed into silence.
“Have you cross-cut into the vein yet?” asked Vance.
“Mr. Gilder,” said the old miner, as he rose from his chair and walked back and forth in a stately manner, “we have cross-cut, suh, into where the vein ought to have been, but it is not there, suh. I must confess to yo’, suh, that I am greatly disappointed, but the disappointment, I am sure, suh, is only tempoary. Of course it is much richer, suh, than it was at the 200 foot level, but it is not rich enough, suh, to work, by a pow’ful sight.”
This information was a great disappointment to Vance, for he had fully shared the old miner’s belief that they would strike the rich ore at the 300 foot level.
“I will admit, Col. Bonifield, that I am somewhat disappointed, and of course you are. Under the circumstances, what do you advise?”
"Yo’ honor me, suh, indeed yo’ do, Mr. Gilder, to ask my advice, because, suh, I know my advice is good. Whether yo’, Mr. Gilder, will so regard it, remains to be seen. If yo’ can furnish about four thousand dollars mo’ money, I will start to-morrow mornin’ fo’ the 400 foot level, and we will then cross-cut, suh, into a vein of pow’ful rich ore. I assure yo’, suh, I never was mo’ sincere in my life than I am in makin’ this statement, suh.”
Vance possessed the confidence of youth, and his belief in Gray Rocks was not to be shaken at the first disappointment, while before him rose up, as from a mist, the pleading face of Louise, and he fancied she was asking him to still believe in her father.
He took his check book from his pocket and wrote a check for $4,000, and signing it, handed it to the old miner, saying: “How long, with the present force of men, will it take to reach the 400 foot level?”
“My dear Mr. Gilder,” said the colonel, accepting his check, and clasping his hand, “yo’ quite ovehpow’r me, yo’ do indeed, suh. Yo’ may have been bawn in the nawth but yo’ are a Virginian still at heart, with the warm blood cou’sin’through yo’r veins I think, suh, that within three or fou’ mouths we can reach the fou’ hund’ed foot level. I told yo’r father that Gray Rocks was a sure winner, and I am proud, suh, to repeat the statement to you.”
“I don’t know,” said Vance, “whether you will strike it at the four hundred foot level or not, but I assure you, Colonel Bonifield, that I have every faith in your sincerity, and I am anxious to develop the mine as rapidly as possible. If my investment should prove a total loss, I assure you I would never hold you responsible.”
“I am gettin’ along in years, Mr. Gilder,” said the Colonel, “and while I have not struck it yet, I have every confidence, suh, that we will if we stay by Gray Rocks. My little Louise, of cou’se, was disappointed like myself. We both feared, suh, yo’ would be veihy much disappointed; and I assure yo’, suh, we cared a great deal mo’ about yo’r disappointment than we did about our own. To tell yo’ the truth, suh, that little girl of mine had mo’ faith in yo’r looking at this matteh philosophically than I did; but,” continued the Colonel, pressing Vance’s hand, “I misjudged yo’, Mr. Gilder, I did indeed, suh, and I apologize fo’ it.”
After Colonel Bonifield had taken his departure, Vance commenced looking over his accumulated mail. The first thing that claimed his attention was a copy of the Banner containing his article, “Two Honorable Exceptions.” He read it carefully through again with evident pride. Not a word or a single sentence had been cut out. This was gratifying to him, and seemed proof that the managing editor had confidence in his ability to select the wheat from the chaff. He laid down the paper and began opening his letters. Presently the song he was humming died on his lips. He sat upright and stared at a letter which he held in his hand. It read as follows:
Banner Office, New York City.
DEAR SIR:—
I am directed by the managing editor to advise you that your services are no longer required. Enclosed find check in payment of your salary to date.
J Respectfully,
J. M. M.,
Ass’t Managing Editor.
To Vance Gilder, Esq.
He arose from his chair and rapidly paced the room, while great beads of perspiration stood on his forehead. What had he done to merit such humiliation? The idea that it might be a practical joke for a moment found lodgment in his thoughts, but he quickly dismissed the hallucination. Again he took up the paper and re-read the article, “Two Honorable Exceptions.” He endeavored logically to think out a solution of his dismissal.
The more earnestly he thought over the situation, the more distinctly he remembered the prejudiced views the chief seemed to entertain in regard to western enterprises and investments. “He certainly wants the truth,” soliloquized Vance, “and I will stake my life there is not a sentence in this article,” and he struck the paper vigorously with his hand, “but what is true. The article might almost be regarded as an advertisement for the great mining camp of Butte City, yet it was news, and not nearly so strong as it might be and still keep within the bounds of truth. The same is equally true as to what I have said in regard to the agricultural and other resources of Waterville.”
He sat far into the night, discussing with himself this unlooked for calamity. Once, and only once, did the idea occur to him that possibly the chief had sent him into the northwest to systematically destroy confidence concerning western investments. He was too honorable, however, to harbor the thought, and quickly dismissed it as too contemptible to be entertained. The only consolation he could find—and that was certainly a very meager one—was that in all probability a letter of explanation would soon come, that would clear away the misunderstanding. In the meantime he would patiently wait, keeping his own counsel.
He looked over his check book, and found he had, all told, some six thousand dollars to his credit, besides the four thousand dollars he had that evening given to Colonel Bonifield. He sat by his window and considered the advisability of returning at once to New York and demanding an explanation. Such a course would take him away from Gold Bluff, from Gray Rocks, and from Louise.