the more I had."

"How was that?"

"I don't know how it was, sir; but such was the fact. But I will tell
you what I do know."

"Yes, tell me, Hartman."

"You may remember, Mr. Lyle, that when I told you I was going back to
California I explained to you that I knew a place where I felt sure
money was to be made."

"Yes, I remember."

"Well, sir, the place was a gully at the foot of a certain spur of the
mountains, called the Red Cleft. Now, at that time I knew very little of
geology. I know more now. Also, I had had but little experience in
mining; and, moreover, whenever I mentioned Red Ridge I was simply
laughed at by my mates. I was laughed out of giving the place a fair
trial. But even after I left the Gold State the idea of the treasure
hidden in the gully at the foot of Red Ridge haunted me day and night,
something always prompting me to go back there and dig. Sir, it was
intuition--inward teaching. When I went back to California I made for
Red Ridge. Sir, when I first went to Red Ridge I dug there eight weeks
without finding gold. That was the time my mates laughed at me. When I
next went back--the time I now speak of--I worked four hours and then
struck--struck one of the best paying mines in the Gold State. It is
worked by a company now, but I have half of all the shares."

"You have been wonderfully blessed and prospered, Hartman."

"Yes," said the traveler, reverently bowing his head; "for their sakes,
I have."

"And for your own, I trust, Hartman."

"Mr. Lyle--"

"Well, Hartman."

"May I ask you a favor?"

"Certainly you may."

"You addressed all your letters to me under the name of Joseph Brent."

"Yes, certainly--at your request."

"Continue, then, to call me Joseph Brent. That name is mine by act of
legislature."

"Indeed!"

"Yes, and I have a still better claim. It was the name of my
grandfather--my mother's father. It was also the name of his eldest son,
my uncle, who died recently a bachelor, in the State of Missouri, and
left me his farm there, on condition that I should take his name. I was
more anxious to have his name than his estate. So I applied to the
legislature, and the name that I had borrowed so long became my own of
right."

"So I am to introduce you to my young friends as Mr. Joseph Brent?"

"Yes, if you please. Let the name of poor Victor Hartman sink quietly
into the grave. And do not let them know that I was Victor Hartman, or
that Joseph Brent was ever thei