id Mr. Breckenridge Endicott.

It was seldom that Mr. Endicott was absent from the side of his wife
during the next few days. Occasionally pleading urgent business, he
left her to go down town with Mr. Tibbs, whom he was seeking to
interest in a plan to extract gold from sea water, a plan upon which
Mr. Tibbs looked with some favor, for as presented by Mr. Endicott, it
was one of great feasibility and promised enormous profits. In the
setting forth of the method of extraction, Mr. Endicott was much aided
by his wife, who overhearing him in earnest consultation with Mr.
Tibbs bounded in and demanded to know what it was all about. Mr.
Endicott demurred, saying it was an abstruse matter which should not
burden so poetical a mind as hers. But Mr. Tibbs set it forth to her
briefly. Having in her youth made much of the sciences of chemistry
and physics, to the great amaze and admiration of Mr. Endicott, she
launched into a most lucid explication of the practicability of the
plan, leaving Mr. Tibbs more than ever inclined to venture his
thousands.

"By Jove, she'll do, Mulvane. Why cut and run? Take her along. She is
a splendid grafter," said Mr. Endicott to himself, as he and his wife
withdrew from the presence of Mr. Tibbs. "My dear," he continued
aloud, "I was overcome by respect for the way you aided me. You are
indeed a jewel. I had never suspected you understood me, knew what I
was, until you came in and explained that sucker trap. You are a most
unexpected ally. You perceive clearly how the thing works?"

"Why, of course, Breckenridge. I have not studied science in vain,
though I do not recall what part of the machine you call 'sucker
trap'. Doubtless the contrivance marked 'converter,' in the drawings.
Of course I understood you, right from the first, a noble, noble man,
and so romantic. But Brecky, dear, why let other people share in this
invention? Why not make all the money ourselves and become million,
millionaires? I shall build churches and libraries and support
missionaries. Why let Mr. Tibbs, who is a somewhat gross person, enjoy
any of the fruits of your genius?"

Whereupon Mr. Endicott's face took on an expression of deep
disappointment, disillusionment, and sorrow, until seeing his own
sorrow mingled with alarm reflected on his wife's face, he presently
announced that they would depart on their wedding journey by boat for
Mackinac three days hence.

"I shall stop fiddle-faddling and settle the business