CHAPTER Xl— BROWNIE MAKES AN INVESTMENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2490, 4 December 1901, Page 63

CHAPTER Xl— BROWNIE MAKES AN INVESTMENT.

On the folloAving Thursday Mr Anderson was dining at Eastwood. Mr Litton's absence had been prolonged beyond his anticipation, and as she sat -in the drawing room a little after 9 o'clock, Mrs Northcott; speculated whether her brother Avould arrive by the train which was nearly due. , "I . a\ ish you had more control over that animal, Margaret," she said, frowning a>l> Ljon, who lay at full length on the earth rug. "He never used to prowl in that way."

BroAvnie was not in the best o{ spirit?, for she had been compelled to write aslting Clement not to come again to Mrs Clow's. " Uncle Walter must haA"e come back, auntie," she answered. ' I had better chain him up '' ; and she Avhistled to Lion to follow her. Upon her return to the drawing room she found that her expectation Avas correct. Mr Littou had already made his appearance. Hi-5 right arm was suspended ui~ a silk scarf, instead of the more clumsy- leather case;, and altogether his a,ppearauce was neater that Avhen we first made his acquaintance ; although there wasstill a certain devil-may-care air, which led you to think hint-the most open-hearted, ingenuous fellow in the world. " I do hope you enjoyed yonr viMt," said Mrs Northcott, but he waved the suggestion aide as though it were quite beneath him. " Than'- you, Mary: but I did not go for enjoyment. >,ot so soon, you know; I shouldn't think of such a thing."' " De.ir Waltei !" murmured Mrs Northcott. "Well, A"hy did you co to London, Uneie Walter?" inquired Brov, nic, aa ith becoming simpliuiy. "'I A^enr on business. Margaret."' he replied, in a tone 'jalculated to impress every heaver Arith the gieafc importance of that business. " You did not tell us that Uncle W.'ltei had any business, auntie,"' she peisisted ; whereupon Mrs Noithcott — herself tantalised by curiosity — re*proved her niece for the impertinence of the remark.

"No matter, Mary," said Mr Litton; "we invite inquiry. Inquiry is the breath. of our nostrils, so to .speak. If you Avill excuse me a minute, theie is something — ;t little parcel in fact — I Avon't be a minute.*'

Maud closed die album she had been shoAving to Anderson, and they all .> iic-d! Mr Littons return Avith much cunosiu He did not keep them long, and in a feu moments Anderson Avas assisting him to unfasten a small brown paper 'bundle, from which he took a still smaller packet, handing it to his sister.

"Mary," he began, excitedly, and ap-i pearing actually to shine with enthusiasm,, " I nip.ant to have asked you to ajirent this

trifle a ±ong time ago. But, what with my accident and poor Northcott's death, you will forgive the delay, won't you? After all, it is a mere bagatelle." " Oh, Walter !" she exclaimed, when she lad removed the tissue paper covering, " how very kind of you. How beautiful — lovely. What a pity lam in mourning."' " Why, it is a nugget," said Maud, leaning forward to admire the present. '" Did you bring it with you from North America, nncle?" " Yes, Maud, yes — certainly ; from my own mine. It is nothing — nothing at all ; a mere bagatelle. Only virgin gold ; nothing of any consequence. A mere bagatelle." Whilst Mrs Northcott continued to admire the nugget, and to thank the donor, Mr Litton .took a second and larger parcel from the "brown paper and handed it to Maud, watching her as she unfolded her treasure with his face as flushed and his eyes as bright as they often were by that hour in the evening. "This, 1 he explained, "is only a little Bpecimeu of gold" in tie quartz. You can see the veins, there, you see. Pretty, aren't they, Maud? Look, Anderson. We crush it all up together, you know, and separate the gold dust from' the rest by means of quicksilver. Gold has an affinity to ■quicksilver — of course, you know that. I/Ucky quicksilver, eh? Now it is your turn., Maggie,"' lie continued, when Maud .'had duly thanked him. " Last, but not least, you know. Humph ! I am sorry :"l haven't a better specimen to offer you ;

''Unfortunately, I did not put these things up myself. I left it to some one else, and • this is the result. It is a piece of simple quartz, you see. Never mind ; it isn't the value of the present, is it? It is the same kind of quartz as Maud's, only without the gold ; that's the only difference. It is very ©haste, isn't it? — all white, you see. If you put the two together under a glass case, and stand Maud's in front — eh? — nobody ■will be any the wiser." "I shall value it because it has come from your own mine, Uncle Walter."' said this contented girl — "your very own." " That's so," he answered, taking two or three sheets of paper from his pocket. "If you read one of these it will tell you I all about it. You'll find it interesting, I can assure you. We are going to make the • affair into a company. I was never a man "' ■' Nobody could ever say that of you, Walter,*' said Mrs Northcott, looking at hcv nugget. " Thank you, Mary," he continued ; " I rather think' not. Thank Heaven, I'm al-' ready to share whaj; I have with others. Who those others are to be,"' he added, looking around him shrewdly, "must,, of course, depend upon themselves. ' It would certainly be gratifying to know that I was benefiting my own flesh and blood " "That is so likje you. dear Walter." "Yes, I think it is, Mary — I hope it is. Bat, as I say, there is no compulsion. " There it ie — first come, first served. If those who are near and dear to me don't ' choose to take advantage oi such a—la — I may say golden — ha ! ha ! — such a golden apportunity, so much the woise for them. Just pur one of those prospectuses in your pocket, Anderson. When you read it it will make your mouth water." "'■ And I have always said you were unfortunate, Walter !" exclaimed Mrs Northcott, • with an air of disappointment ; at which Mr Litton showed his black teeth, and chuckled audibly. Then, it being past 10 o'clock, Anderson took his leave On the following Tuesday morning, Mr .Litton was alone in the study, a mass of loose papers on his right, a half-finished box of Clement's Intimidads on his left. He was disturbed by a tap at the door, and at once Dundled most of the papers into 0. drawer.

" What, Margaret !" h& exclaimed. " I thought you had «11 gone out." " I wanted to epeak to you, so I remained at home," she replied. "Perhaps you are busy?" *' Well, you know, I am. rather 'busy," lie said, holding the door only half-open So as to bar her entrance. " Won't it keep, Margaret ; won't another time do as well ':" He regarded Brownie as a thorn in the flesh • for, although she nad lately seemed bent upon ingratiating herself with him, yet at times she had gone very near to offering him- direct insults. He had also overheard her teaching Lion to growl at the mention of his name and to whine when he heard Clement's. "' Oh, yes, my business will keep," she answered," observing that he was gradually closing the door upon her. "I only wanted to speak about the mine " What 2 transformation ! The words were a talisman. Wide open flew the door ; back stepped its guardian, waving Brownie to a chair with the air of a polite dentist. ' "So you want to say something about the mine. The prospectus has interested you ? I drew it up myself, Margaret ; I think its pretty well done. Perhaps you want i»e to point out the exact locality on ths map. Nothing easier, if you can only show me a map with it on, my dear girl.'' ' I think I understand whereabouts the mine is.'" she answered, " only I thought •ther*! were shares or soinetMng. If you don't mind, I should like to have a few. Bui 'Jr you would rather I did not, of ! course it does not matter at all." "My dear Margaret," he cried, reproachfully '• You remember what I said the ©the.- evening. It is always the greatest pleasure to me to help my friends. Whether those friends are -north the trouble is another matter. Xow, how many shares would you like!'" " I have not much money." she said. "' Hoyt mucli are they, please? Mow many do you think 1 might take, just to begin fl-ilh? " " There are two thousand shares at ten pounds per share,"' he answered, consulting the prospectus ; " four pound's payable on application, four on allotment, after which it is hoped no further call will be made Now. as a fiiend, Margaret, I can't advise ---ou to take fewer than ten. Ten I consider a very moderate nuixiibar. You

could not take fewer than ten with what I call decency, you know. You will just fill up a form I shall give you. Have you got your cheque-ibook? That's right. Well, then, you will draw a cheque for forty pounds. Four pounds per share, you know, and then the whole thing is done with for the present. The shares will soon be allotted ; then you will draw another little cheque for forty pounds ; four pounds per share on allotment. You see, the whole thing is as simple as A B C' "But." said Brownie, "I am afraid I can hardly spare eighty pounds this quarter " " Oh, oh, so you are extravagant, are you? My little niece spends her money as fast as she gets it, does she?" he exclaimed, in great glee, as he rested his . hand on her ehoulder. " I have only two hundred pounds a year of my own," she answered, rising abruptly, and thus shaking off his hand. "When do you come of age, Margaret?" he asked. j "In November. lam a Guy. you know ; j my birthday is on the fifth." j '" Then, I'll tell you what. Ha, ha ; a Guy ! Well it would be a pity to roast j you, wouldn't, it? Ju&t give me a cheque for the first forty now, and sign this form I of application, and I — yes, I will "lend you ! the rest myself until' your birthday. Then | you can pay me back ; and you might like i to take a few more shares at the same '' time."' , " Very likely." she said, and, producing ' her cheque book, she sat down to draw a j cheque for forty pounds, payable to " Wai- j ter Lilton, .Esquire, or oi'der. " After which she afro signed her name to a form of application for ten shares in the " New Colorado Wheal Beef Mining Company, Limited," in accordance with Mr Litton's instructions. " T am going to treat you ju^t a« if you were a total stranger, Margaret," he said. " There's no friendship in business. I shall write you a receipt in proper form, just as 1 though I had never seen you before." i Slipping the slinc: off 'his arm. he began { slowly and clumsily to sign the receipt. The letters were lanre and round, like those ; of a schoolboy, and every line was shaky | in consequence of the swollen condition of j his fingers.

" There," he said, putting his arm carefully back in the sling, " put that in your pocket, and think yourself a very lucky girl. I guess I could double that five thousand pounds of yours in a twelvemonth, if you only come to me for advice. Double it?" Ah, treble it."

" That is exactly what I should like to do," she replied. " I am so stupid over things of this kind. Uncle Walter, I don't want anybody to know abut this '

"My dear Margaret," he cried, seizing ncr right hand with .his left., and shaking it heartily, " you may trust me. I won't breathe a word- I am disappointed in the others, Margaret ; especially in Maud — no spirit. Ido like to see a little spirit in a girl."

"Wouldn't she take any shares when you asked her?'' inquired BroAvnie.

"I didn't ask her. I ask nobody. I merely describe the mine, and leave people to do as they like. A wonderful property — wonderful. But, as I tell you, Maud has no spirit. Upon my soul, Margaret, there is more sense in your little finger than in all the rest of them put together." Throwing open the door, in his enthdsiasm he would have bidden her farewell a second time.

"Thank you," she said, "but you did shake hands," and so made her escape.