ou may attend to your own messages, sir," said Orton, irritably. "I
will have nothing to do with them."

Without any further words he hurried out of the house, and drove at once
to the office of the steamship company, where he secured passage by the
earliest vessel eastward bound.

That same evening Mr. and Mrs. Richard Dewey held an informal reception
at their boarding-house.

It was not largely attended, for Florence had made but few
acquaintances during her stay in the city. Uncertain as her prospects
were, she had thought it best to keep aloof from her friends, who might
possibly make known her residence to her guardian. Among those present,
however, were Richard Dewey's tried friends, Bradley and Ben Stanton.

Bradley tried to excuse himself, on the ground that he was only a rough
miner and not accustomed to society, but his objection was overruled
both by Florence and her husband.

"You are a true friend, Mr. Bradley," said Florence, gratefully, "and I
should miss you more than any one else except my young friend and
cousin, Ben."

"Ben's different from what I am," said Bradley. "He ain't such a rough
specimen."

"I'm only a miner, like you," said Ben. "I am a country boy and not used
to society, but I don't believe Cousin Ida will care for that."

"Cousin Ida" was the name by which Ben had been instructed to call
Florence when she came out to California under his escort.

The upshot of it all was that both Bradley and Ben were present at the
bride's reception, and were made so thoroughly at home by Mrs. Richard
Dewey that neither felt in the least awkward.

Two weeks later Richard Dewey and his wife sailed for New York, but Ben
and Bradley remained behind.

"Come with us, Ben," said Florence. "I don't like to leave you behind."

"Thank you, Miss Florence--I mean Mrs. Dewey," said the boy--"but I am
not ready to go yet."

"Don't let the thought of money keep you here, Ben. I am rich, or I
shall be in a few months, when my guardian surrenders his trust, and I
will take care that you are well provided for."

"Thank you again," said Ben; "but I've promised to go back to the mines.
I've got a claim reserved for me, and so has Bradley. We'll go back now
and try to gather a little more gold-dust."

"But you'll let us see you in New York before long?"

"Yes, I shall go home in a few months, even if I come back again later.
I want to see Uncle Job and Cousin Jennie, and all my old friends, not
forgetti