r shook his head.

"They're not ours, doctor," he replied. "I'd much prefer that somebody
turn up who needs them and is entitled to them."

"My dear man," protested the doctor, earnestly, "you do need them.
That's the point. You need them and you're to have them. I want you
to take the money and go to California!"

"Oh--hurrah!" cried Charley, springing up and sitting down again.

"Why----!" gasped his father. "But look here, anyway: it wouldn't be
mine; it belongs to Charley, remember. The man gave it to Charley, if
he gave it to anybody."

"Humph," grunted the old doctor, eyes twinkling. "Supposing Charley
lends you half, then--and he takes the other half and you and he go
shares on the trip and on what you find."

"Hurrah!" again cheered Charley. "I don't want it; dad can have it
all, of course. But I'd like to go, if I can."

"No arguments, now," warned the old doctor, to Mr. Adams, who sat
bewildered. "Your wife and I've agreed. You need a sea voyage, and a
little roughing it in the out-of-doors yonder in the California
mountains. That's just what you need, to set you up again. Now's your
chance. Besides, there's the mine----"

"The Golden West mine!" cheered Charley. "Sure. That's ours, too."

"There's the mine," continued the old doctor. "Somebody ought to be
developing that mine. If any real heirs ever do turn up, you see,
you'll have more than $800 to give them."

"They'll certainly get either the mine or their $800," asserted Mr.
Adams. "I don't want pay for taking care of anybody in distress."

"By all means no," concurred the old doctor. "But according to what
Charley understood (and you heard some of it, yourself), that man gave
him the dust, and also wanted him to have the mine. So you and he are
going out there, and you'll start just as soon as you possibly can."

"You will go, won't you, George?" urged Mrs. Adams. "I'll get along
splendidly. The main thing is your health. We can't any of us be
happy or contented while you're poorly--and the doctor says California
is the very thing for you. It does seem as though the way had been
opened by Providence. I'm just as glad as I can be!"

"So am I!" cheered Charley. "I'm going over and tell Billy."

"Hold on a bit," cautioned the doctor. "Wait till we finish up."

It required considerable more talk before Mr. Adams was fully
persuaded. At last he did say that he'd go, if Mrs. Adams could be
left--and if Charley would