in that country of squandered
fortunes."

"But there is copper in that region, is there not?"

"Certainly there is, and in fabulous quantity, but apparently not in
the immediate vicinity of the Copper Princess."

"Did you visit the place yourself?"

"No. We conducted our inquiries through a mine-owner of Hancock, which
was at that time the nearest town of importance to the property."

"Does your correspondent still live there?"

"I believe so. At any rate, he did within a year."

"Will you give me a note of introduction to him, and also a paper of
identification, by which I may substantiate my claim to a
half-ownership in the Copper Princess?"

"Certainly I will; but may I ask how you propose to use such
documents? You surely do not intend to visit the property with the
hope that anything can be realized from it?"

"I don't think I have much hope of any kind just now," replied
Peveril, bitterly. "But I suppose there is as much work to be done in
the copper country as anywhere else, while my chances of obtaining
employment there will at least be as good as they are here. Besides,
it will be a sort of satisfaction to gaze upon the only existing
evidence that there ever was a fortune in the family. You said that
buildings of some sort had been erected on the property, did you not?"

"Yes, according to my recollection there was quite a village of
miners' houses, besides all the other necessary structures."

"Then I may at least discover a roof under which I can dwell, rent
free, while the sensation of finding myself lord of a manor will be
decidedly novel."

Having thus decided upon a course of action, our young mine-owner lost
no time in carrying out his newly formed plans. That very afternoon he
purchased a ticket for Buffalo, from which point he proposed to
economize his slender resources by taking a lake steamer to his point
of destination. His last duty before leaving New York, and the one
from which he shrank most, was the writing of a second letter to Rose,
telling her that the trip to Norway was no longer a possibility, so
far as he was concerned. He wrote:

"I am suddenly confronted with the necessity of taking rather a
long Western journey, to investigate the condition of a mine in
which I own a half-interest. I hate to go, because every mile
will lengthen the distance between us, and am more bitterly
disappointed than I can express at being compelled to give up
our