CHAPTER IV
STARTING IN SEARCH OF THE COPPER PRINCESS
Viewed through the sanguine eyes of youth, the possession of ahalf-interest in a copper mine seemed to offer a ready solution ofPeveril's recent difficulties. He vaguely recalled stories of greatfortunes made in copper, and speculated concerning the market value ofhis newly discovered property. "There must be plenty of people readyto buy such things, if they are only offered cheaply enough," he saidto himself; "and Heaven knows I wouldn't hold out for any fancy price.Ten thousand dollars, or even five, would be sufficient for the Norwaytrip, and after that something would be certain to turn up."
Of all his trials none had seemed so hard to bear as the giving up ofthat journey to Norway, and now it might be accomplished, after all.He had written several letters to Rose since reaching New York, and atfirst they had been filled with hopes of a speedy reunion. Then, as hebegan to realize the condition of his fortunes, they became lessfrequent and less hopeful, until for some weeks, not knowing what towrite, he had not written at all.
Now filled with a new courage, he wrote a long and cheerful letter,in which he stated a belief that his business troubles were so nearlyended that he would speedily be able to join his friends in Norway.This letter, finished and mailed, the young mine-owner visited hislawyer, to inform him of his discovery and learn its probable value.
Mr. Ketchum smiled grimly as he glanced at the contract on whichPeveril was building such high hopes, and then, handing it back, said,pityingly:
"My dear boy, I hate to dash your hopes, but I doubt if this thing isworth anything more than the paper on which it is written. BoiseCarson brought it to us years ago, and we looked into it at that time.We discovered that a property located somewhere in Northern Michigan,and supposed to be rich in copper, had been purchased at a stiff priceby your father and this Ralph Darrell, who was a banker in one of theNew England cities--Boston, I believe. They christened it the 'CopperPrincess,' invested nearly a million dollars in a completemining-plant, and sank a shaft into barren rock. Not one cent did themine ever yield, and the deeper they went the poorer became theirprospects. Finally, Darrell, completely ruined financially, becamecrazed by his troubles and disappeared; nor has he ever been heardfrom since. Your father, having put half of his fortune into theventure, brooded over its loss until his death, which, I am convinced,was largely caused by the failure of the Copper Princess."
"What became of the property after that?" asked Peveril, who hadlistened with a sinking heart to this recital.
"I believe it stands to-day, as it was abandoned years ago, one of themany monuments of ruined hopes in that country of squanderedfortunes."
"But there is copper in that region, is there not?"
"Certainly there is, and in fabulous quantity, but apparently not inthe immediate vicinity of the Copper Princess."
"Did you visit the place yourself?"
"No. We conducted our inquiries through a mine-owner of Hancock, whichwas at that time the nearest town of importance to the property."
"Does your correspondent still live there?"
"I believe so. At any rate, he did within a year."
"Will you give me a note of introduction to him, and also a paper ofidentification, by which I may substantiate my claim to ahalf-ownership in the Copper Princess?"
"Certainly I will; but may I ask how you propose to use suchdocuments? You surely do not intend to visit the property with thehope that anything can be realized from it?"
"I don't think I have much hope of any kind just now," repliedPeveril, bitterly. "But I suppose there is as much work to be done inthe copper country as anywhere else, while my chances of obtainingemployment there will at least be as good as they are here. Besides,it will be a sort of satisfaction to gaze upon the only existingevidence that there ever was a fortune in the family. You said thatbuildings of some sort had been erected on the property, did you not?"
"Yes, according to my recollection there was quite a village ofminers' houses, besides all the other necessary structures."
"Then I may at least discover a roof under which I can dwell, rentfree, while the sensation of finding myself lord of a manor will bedecidedly novel."
Having thus decided upon a course of action, our young mine-owner lostno time in carrying out his newly formed plans. That very afternoon hepurchased a ticket for Buffalo, from which point he proposed toeconomize his slender resources by taking a lake steamer to his pointof destination. His last duty before leaving New York, and the onefrom which he shrank most, was the writing of a second letter to Rose,telling her that the trip to Norway was no longer a possibility, sofar as he was concerned. He wrote:
"I am suddenly confronted with the necessity of taking rather a long Western journey, to investigate the condition of a mine in which I own a half-interest. I hate to go, because every mile will lengthen the distance between us, and am more bitterly disappointed than I can express at being compelled to give up our Norwegian trip. But my call to the West is imperative, and must be obeyed. So, dear, let us bear our disappointment as best we can, for I hope it is one to you as well as to me, and look forward to a joyful reunion in this city next autumn."
The epistle, of which the above is but a fragment, not only causedMiss Bonnifay to utter an impatient exclamation as she read it, butalso led to complications.
Feeling that, with Peveril safely across the Atlantic, there might besome hope for him, Owen had reconsidered his determination not to goto Norway, and had written from Oxford, offering to escort the ladieson that trip. His letter reached them in company with that fromPeveril announcing that he too would shortly be with them. ThereuponMrs. Bonnifay replied to Owen that, while they should be delighted tohave him join their party, he must not inconvenience himself to do so,as Mr. Peveril's business was in such shape that he would be able tocarry out his original intention of accompanying them.
Then came Peveril's second letter, stating that he could not leaveAmerica, after all, and the elder lady hurriedly penned the followingnote:
"MY DEAR MR. OWEN:
"We are so glad that you can accompany us to Norway, the more so that Mr. Peveril will, after all, be prevented from so doing. He has just written that business of the utmost importance, connected with an immensely valuable mine that he owns somewhere in the West, will prevent his leaving America this summer. Of course he is in despair, and all that, while we are awfully sorry for him, but we shall not allow our grief to interfere in the least with the pleasure we are anticipating from a trip to Norway under your escort. Hoping, then, to see you here very soon,
"I remain," etc., etc.
Quickly as this letter followed its immediate predecessor, it arrivedtoo late to accomplish its purpose; for, on the very day that hereceived it, Owen had cabled his acceptance of a position offered himin the United States and procured his ticket for New York.
"Was ever a man so cursed by fate!" he cried, as he finished readingMrs. Bonnifay's note; "or, rather, by the stupidity of a blunderingidiot! I don't believe Dick Peveril cares a rap for the girl; if hedid, he would not desert her on any such flimsy pretext. The idea ofhis having business with a mine! He never did have any business, andnever will. How I hate the fellow!"
With this, Mr. Owen composed a letter to Mrs. Bonnifay, in which hisregrets at the miscarriage of their plans were skilfully interwovenwith insinuations that possibly Peveril had found America to hold evengreater attractions than Norway. He also promised to keep theminformed concerning the latest New York news.
This promise he redeemed two weeks later by forwarding whatever ofgossip he could gather regarding Peveril. It included the informationthat the latter had not only lost his fortune, but had sought sounsuccessfully for employment in the city that he had finally beenobliged to leave it, and no one knew whither he had gone. Havingaccomplished this piece of work, Mr. Owen also departed from New York,and turned his face westward.
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In the mean time, Peveril, happily unconscious of these severalepistles, was finding his own path beset by trials such as he hadnever encountered on any previous journey, for they were those causedby a scarcity of funds with which to meet his every-day expenses.
His determination to economize failed because of his ignorance of thefirst principles of economy. Besides that, his appearance, his manner,his dress, and his personal belongings were all so many protestsagainst economy. Thus, when he inquired concerning a hotel in Buffalo,no one thought of naming any save the most expensive, and he drove toit in a carriage, because he did not know how else to reach it. Thenit happened that the first boat leaving for the Superior country wasthe _Northland_, one of the most luxurious and extravagant of lakecraft. To be sure, she was also the swiftest, and would carry himthrough without loss of time; but when he left her at the Sault, as hefound he must in order to reach the copper country, his scanty stockof money was depleted beyond anything he had deemed possible on soshort a trip. From the Sault he travelled by rail, and finally reachedHancock with but five dollars in his pocket.
Then, failing to find the only person to whom he had a note ofintroduction, and also being unable to obtain work, he finallyexpended his last dollar for transportation to Red Jacket, where heknew he must either find employment or starve. And thus was our heroled to the point at which we first made his acquaintance.