r.

"Is business good?" asked Warner, pleasantly.

"It is fair; but it seems slow to a man like myself, who has made a
hundred dollars a day at the mines in California."

"I have been in California myself," said Powell, "but it was recently,
and no such sums were to be made in my time."

"That is true. It didn't last with me. I have noticed that even in the
flush times few brought much money away with them, no matter how lucky
they were."

"There must become exceptions, however."

"There were. We have a notable example in Milwaukee."

"To whom do you refer?"

"To Thomas Browning, the man who is up for mayor."

Jack King laughed.

"I've heard a lot of talk about that man. He's very honest and very
worthy, I hear."

"They call him so," he answered.

"I am afraid you are jealous of that good man," said Warner, smiling.

"I may be jealous of his success, but not of his reputation or his
moral qualities."

"Then you don't admire him as much as the public generally?"

"No, I know him too well."

"He is really rich, is he not?"

"Yes, that is, he is worth, perhaps, two hundred thousand dollars."

"That would satisfy me."

"Or me. But I doubt whether the money was creditably gained."

"Do you know anything about it? Were you an acquaintance of his?"

"Yes; I can remember him when he was only a rough miner. I never heard
that he was very lucky, but he managed to take considerable money East
with him."

Warner eyed Jack King attentively.

"You suspect something," he said, shrewdly.

"I do. There was one of our acquaintances who had struck it rich, and
accumulated about ten thousand dollars. Browning was thick with him,
and I always suspected that when he found himself on his deathbed, he
intrusted all his savings to Butler----"

"I thought you were speaking of Browning?"

"His name was Butler then. He has changed it since. But, as I was
saying, I think he intrusted his money to Browning to take home to his
family."

"Well?"

"The question is, did Browning fulfill his trust, or keep the money
himself?"

"That would come out, wouldn't it? The family would make inquiries."

"They did not know that the dying man had money. He kept it to
himself, for he wanted to go home and give them an agreeable surprise.
Butler knew this, and, I think, he took advantage of it."

"That was contemptible. But can't it be ascertained? Is it known where
the family lives? What is the name?"

"Walton."

"Walto