but his
manner had become less excited, and his voice was stronger.

"A change must have come over me the second year, for I only dreaded
their coming now and finding me so altered. A horrible idea that they
might, like the student, believe me crazy if I spoke of my fortune made
me pray to God that they might not reach me until after I had regained
my health and strength--and found my fortune. When the third year
found me still there--I no longer prayed for them--I cursed them! I
swore to myself that they should never enjoy my wealth; but I wanted to
live, and let them know I had it. I found myself getting stronger; but
as I had no money, no friends, and nowhere to go, I concealed my real
condition from the doctors, except to give them my name, and to try to
get some little work to do to enable me to leave the hospital and seek
my lost treasure. One day I found out by accident that it had been
discovered! You understand--my treasure!--that had cost me years of
labor and my reason; had left me a helpless, forgotten pauper. That
gold I had never enjoyed had been found and taken possession of by
another!"

He checked an exclamation from Mulrady with his hand. "They say they
picked me up senseless from the floor, where I must have fallen when I
heard the news--I don't remember--I recall nothing until I was
confronted, nearly three weeks after, by my son, who had called at the
hospital, as a reporter for a paper, and had accidentally discovered me
through my name and appearance. He thought me crazy, or a fool. I
didn't undeceive him. I did not tell him the story of the mine to
excite his doubts and derision, or, worse (if I could bring proof to
claim it), have it perhaps pass into his ungrateful hands. No; I said
nothing. I let him bring me here. He could do no less, and common
decency obliged him to do that."

"And what proof could you show of your claim?" asked Mulrady, gravely.

"If I had that letter--if I could find Masters," began Slinn, vaguely.

"Have you any idea where the letter is, or what has become of Masters?"
continued Mulrady, with a matter-of-fact gravity, that seemed to
increase Slinn's vagueness and excite his irritability.

"I don't know--I sometimes think--" He stopped, sat down again, and
passed his hands across his forehead. "I have seen the letter
somewhere since. Yes," he went on, with sudden vehemence, "I know it,
I have seen it! I--" His brows knitted, his features began to