of my late father-in-law, Elisha Doane."

"I take it that you are the executor of the estate."

"Yes, sir."

Solon Talbot would not have been so communicative if he had supposed
that the banker was a friend to Mark. He had forgotten Mark's agency in
protecting Mr. Rockwell from the dynamite fiend.

"The stock was probably purchased at a very low figure."

"I presume so, though I do not know what was paid for it. Indeed I never
heard of it until I came to examine the items of my father-in-law's
estate. He didn't have much else."

"It is fortunate for his heirs."

"Yes," answered Talbot rather nervously.

He was afraid Mr. Rockwell might inquire who were the other heirs. Had
he done so, he would have evaded the question or boldly declared that
there was no other heirs except himself.

After half an hour's conversation the purchase was made, and a check for
one hundred and four thousand dollars was handed to Mr. Talbot.

"I hope you will not have occasion to regret your purchase, Mr.
Rockwell," said Solon.

"I think I shall not from advices I have received about increasing
richness."

At the time appointed Mark called at Mr. Rockwell's office.

"Well, Mark," said the lawyer, "I made the purchase."

"At two hundred and sixty?"

"Yes. I congratulate you."

"That is, if I succeed in getting our share from my uncle."

"I will give you a letter to my lawyer, Mr. Gerrish. Obtain a letter
from him, as your counsel, and call to-morrow upon your uncle with a
formal demand for your mother's share of the proceeds of the mining
stock."

CHAPTER XXXII.

CONCLUSION.

Solon Talbot went home in high spirits. It was only recently that he had
become aware of the great value of the Golden Hope shares. It had come
to him as an agreeable surprise.

"With what I was worth before," he soliloquized, "I may now rate myself
at one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. That is very good--for a
beginning. I can afford to buy the house in Forty-Seventh Street, for I
shall still have a hundred thousand dollars over, and in five years I
mean to make it half a million."

He paced up and down his library in a state of joyous excitement. No
thought of giving his sister-in-law her rightful due entered his mind.

"How can she find out?" he reflected. "Old Mr. Doane never told any of
us of his mining shares. I presume he looked upon them as rather a risky
investment. It has proved to be a splendid speculation, but it was
r