will be best to efface myself as speedily as
possible. I have made a will, leaving you my sole heir and
executor. You are welcome to whatever you can save from the
wreck. All papers belonging to your father and left in my
charge will be handed you by Mr. Ketchum. Good-bye.

"Yours, for the last time,

"BOISE CARSON."

"He didn't commit suicide?" exclaimed Peveril, incredulously.

"It is to be feared that he did," replied the lawyer, "and the state
of his affairs bears out the supposition."

After this Peveril spent a month in New York, trying to recover
something from the wreck of his fortune. At the end of that time he
found himself with less than one hundred dollars over and above his
obligations. Realizing at length that he must for the future depend
entirely upon his own efforts, he made several applications for vacant
positions in the city, only to find in every case that they were also
sought by men more competent to fill them than he.

One day, when, for want of something better to do, he was
mechanically looking over a package of old papers that had belonged to
his father, he came across a contract of partnership between his
parent and a certain Ralph Darrell. It was for the opening and
development of a mine, to be known as the "Copper Princess," and
located in the upper peninsula of Michigan. By the terms of the
contract the partnership was to exist for twenty years, and, if either
party died during that time, his heir or heirs were to accept the
liabilities and receive all benefits accruing to an original partner.
It was, however, provided that the claims of such heirs must be made
before expiration of the contract, otherwise the entire property would
fall into possession of the longest-surviving partner or his heirs.
The document bore a date nineteen years old.

"Well," said Peveril, reflectively, as he finished reading this paper,
"although everything else is lost, it would seem that as my father's
sole heir I am still half-owner in a copper mine. I wonder if it is
worth looking up?"

CHAPTER IV

STARTING IN SEARCH OF THE COPPER PRINCESS

Viewed through the sanguine eyes of youth, the possession of a
half-interest in a copper mine seemed to offer a ready solution of
Peveril's recent difficulties. He vaguely recalled stories of great
fortunes made in copper, and speculated concerning the market value of
his newly discovered property. "There must be plenty o