When Herbert returned to the hotel he found George Melville in the
reading room in conversation with a tall and dignified-looking stranger.
“Is that your brother, Mr. Melville?” asked the latter, as Herbert came
forward and spoke to Melville.
“No, Colonel, he is my young friend and confidential clerk, Herbert
Carr.”
“Glad to make your acquaintance, Mr. Carr,” said the colonel, affably,
extending his hand as he spoke.
“This is Col. Warner, Herbert,” explained George Melville.
Herbert, who was naturally polite, shook hands with the colonel, and
said he was glad to make his acquaintance.
“I have been talking with Mr. Melville,” said the colonel. “I am sorry
to hear that he is traveling in search of health.”
“Yes, sir; I hope he will find his journey beneficial.”
“Oh, not a doubt of it! Not a doubt of it! I've been there myself. Do
you know, when I was twenty-five, which I take to be about the age of
your employer, I thought I should die of consumption?”
“I shouldn't have supposed it, sir,” said Herbert, and Melville, too,
felt surprised, as he noticed the stalwart proportions of the former
consumptive.
“Ha! ha! I dare say not,” said the colonel, laughing. “I don't look much
like it now, eh?”
“No, you certainly don't, colonel,” said Melville. “I am curious to know
how you overcame the threatened danger.”
“I did what you are doing, sir; I came West.”
“But the mere coming West did not cure you, did it?”
“No, sir; it was the life I lived,” returned Col. \Varner. “I didn't
stay in the cities; I went into the wilderness. I lived in a log-cabin.
I bought a horse, and rode every day. I kept in the open air, and, after
a while, I found my strength returning and my chest expanding, and in a
twelvemonth I could afford to laugh at doctors.”
“And you have never had a return of the old symptoms?” asked Melville,
with interest.
“Never, except four years afterwards, when I went to New York and
remained nearly a year. I am now fifty, and rather hale and hearty for
my years, eh?”
“Decidedly so.”
“Let me advise you to follow my example, Mr. Melville.”
“It was my intention when I started West to live very much as you
indicated,” said Melville. “Now that I have heard your experience, I am
confirmed in my resolve.”
“Good! I am glad to hear it. When do you leave Chicago?”
“To-morrow, probably.”
“And how far West do you intend to go?”
“I have thought of Colorado.”
“Couldn't do better. I know Colorado like a book. In fact, I own some
valuable mining property there, up in--ahem! Gilpin County. By the
way--I take it you are a rich man--why don't you invest in that way?
Perhaps, however, you have it in view?”
“No, I haven't thought of it,” answered Melville. “The fact is, I am not
anxious to become richer, having enough for all my present needs.”
“Just so,” said the colonel. “But you might marry.”
“Even if I did--”
“You would have money enough,” said Col. Warner, finishing the sentence
for him. “Well, I am delighted to hear it. I am very well fixed
myself--in fact, some of my friends call me, ha! ha!--the nabob. But,
as I was saying I am rich enough and to spare, and still--you may be
surprised--still I have no objection to making a little more money.”
Col. Warner nodded his head vigorously, and watched George Melville to
see the effect upon him of this extraordinary statement.
“Very natural, colonel,” said Melville. “I believe most people want to
be richer. Perhaps if I had vigorous health I might have the same wish.
At present my chief wish is to recover my health.”
“You'll do it, sir, you'll do it--and in short order, too! Then you can
turn your attention to money-making.”
“Perhaps so,” said Melville, with a smile.
“If not for yourself, for your young friend here,” added the colonel. “I
take it he is not rich.”
“I have my fortune still to make, Col. Warner,” said Herbert, smiling.
“The easiest thing in the world out here, my boy!” said the colonel,
paternally. “So you start to-morrow?” he inquired, turning to Melville.
“I think of it.”
“Egad! I've a great mind to accompany you,” said the colonel. “Why
shouldn't I? I've got through all my business in Chicago, and I like the
pure air of the prairies best.”
“We shall be glad of your company, colonel,” said Melville, politely.
“Thank you, sir; that decides me. I'll see you again and fix the hour of
going, or rather I'll conform myself to your arrangements.”
“Very well, colonel.”
“What do you think of my new acquaintance, Col. Warner, Herbert?” asked
Melville when they were alone.
“He seems to have a very good opinion of himself,” answered Herbert.
“Yes, he is very well pleased with himself. He isn't a man exactly to my
taste, but he seems a representative Western man. He does not look much
like a consumptive?”
“No, sir.”
“I feel an interest in him on that account,” said Melville, seriously.
“If at any time I could become as strong and stalwart I would willingly
surrender one-half, nay nine-tenths of my fortune. Ill health is a great
drag upon a man; it largely curtails his enjoyments, and deprives him of
all ambition.”
“I don't see why his remedy wouldn't work well in your case, Mr.
Melville,” said Herbert, earnestly.
“Perhaps it may. At any rate, I feel inclined to try it. I am glad the
colonel is going to travel with us, as I shall be able to question him
about the details of his cure. He seems a bluff, genial fellow, and
though I don't expect to enjoy his companionship much, I hope to derive
some benefit from it.”
“By the way, Mr. Melville, I met an old acquaintance while I was out
walking,” said Herbert.
“Indeed!”
“Eben Graham.”
“How did he look--prosperous?”
“Hardly--he was wheeling a barrow of vegetables.”
“Did you speak with him?”
“Yes; he wanted to borrow money.”
“I am not surprised at that; I thought it time for him to be out of
money. Did you lend him?”
“No; I found he wanted money to buy a lottery ticket. I told him I
wouldn't lend money to my best friend for that purpose.”
“Very sensible in you, Herbert.”
“If he had been in distress, I might have let him have a few dollars,
notwithstanding he treated me so meanly at Wayneboro, but he seems to be
earning a living.”
“I presume he doesn't enjoy the business he is in?”
“No; he complains that he has lowered himself by accepting such a
place.”
“It doesn't occur to him that he lowered himself when he stole money
from his father, I suppose.”
“It doesn't seem to.”
Later in the day Herbert came across Col. Warner in the corridor of the
hotel.
“Ha! my young friend!” he said, affably. “I am glad to meet you.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“And how is your friend?”
“No change since morning,” answered Herbert, slightly smiling.
“By the way, Herbert--your name is Herbert, isn't it--may I offer you a
cigar?” said Col. Warner.
The colonel opened his cigar-case and extended it to Herbert.
“Thank you, sir, but I don't smoke.”
“Don't smoke? That is, you don't smoke cigars. May I offer you a
cigarette?”
“I don't smoke at all, colonel.”
“Indeed, remarkable! Why, sir, before I was your age I smoked.”
“Do you think it good for consumption?” asked Herbert.
“Ha, ha, you have me there! Well, perhaps not. Do you know,” said the
colonel, changing the conversation, “I feel a great interest in your
friend.”
“You are very kind.”
“'Upon my soul, I do. He is a most interesting young man. Rich, too! I
am glad he is rich!”
“He would value health more than money,” said Herbert.
“To be sure, to be sure! By the way, you don't know how much property
your friend has?”
“No, sir, he never told me,” answered Herbert, surprised at the
question.
“Keeps such matters close, eh? Now, I don't. I never hesitate to own up
to a quarter of a million. Yes, quarter of a million! That's the size of
my pile.”
“You are fortunate, Col. Warner,” said Herbert, sincerely.
“So I am, so I am! Two years hence I shall have half a million, if all
goes well. So you won't have a cigar; no? Well, I'll see you later.”
“He's a strange man,” thought Herbert. “I wonder if his statements
can be relied upon.” Somehow Herbert doubted it. He was beginning to
distrust the colonel.