Paul approached the old man, and said, politely: "I believe I am speaking to Mr. Fox."

After a few minutes spent in looking about him, Paul approached the old man, and said, politely:

"I believe I am speaking to Mr. Fox?"

"Yes, that's my name," said the other, fixing his small, round eyes searchingly on our young hero.

"You are manager of the Blackstone mine?"

"Yes; but I have no work to give out," answered the old man, brusquely—"got all I want."

Paul smiled.

"I think you make a mistake," he replied. "I am not looking for work."

"Then if you have no business with me, I can't stand here wasting my time."

"I have business with you, Mr. Fox. In fact, I have come to Custer City on purpose to see you.""I can't waste my time with boys," said Simeon Fox, rudely.

"I come from Chicago," said Paul, composedly.

The old man looked at him sharply.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Paul Palmer."

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen."

"Then you'd better wait till you grow a little older before you take up the time of a business man."

"I come from Mr. Bradford," continued Paul.

"Eh?" ejaculated Simeon Fox, astonished.

"Mr. Bradford, who owns one-half of the Blackstone mine, has sent me out here to look after his interests."

"Then Mr. Bradford must be a fool to employ a whipper-snapper like you."

"That remains to be seen. At any rate, I have come out here with full powers to act for him in any way I see fit."

"Do you expect me to believe all that, youngster?" demanded Fox, surveying our hero disdainfully.

"Please read that," said Paul, drawing out a paper which conferred upon him the power he claimed.

"Well," answered Simeon Fox, "it strikes me there must be a great scarcity of business men in Chicago, when my partner is obliged to send out a half-grown boy like you."

"That doesn't alter the fact that I represent Mr. Bradford, does it?"

"No," answered the old man, slowly.

He was thinking to himself:

"It will be easy to hoodwink this boy. He is inexperienced, and will swallow all I say."

"Well," he said, aloud, with a change of manner, "that's my partner's affair, not mine. Now, young man, what have you to say to me?"

"How is the mine doing, Mr. Fox?"

Simeon Fox screwed up his face into a doleful expression, and shook his head.

"Badly," he answered.

"Doesn't it come up to your expectations?"

"No. You can tell Mr. Bradford that we were badly taken in when we bought it."

"You paid ten thousand dollars, Mr. Bradford tells me."

"Yes; and half the money is thrown away."

"You don't consider it worth what was paid, then?"

Simeon Fox shook his head.

"We shall never get our money back."

"Will you give five thousand dollars for Mr. Bradford's share in the mine?""Young man, do you take me for a fool?" demanded Fox, with seeming indignation.

"Quite the contrary, Mr. Fox," answered Paul, smiling.

"Then why do you ask me such ridiculous questions?"

"I was merely trying to get your idea of the value of the mine."

"Well, now you know it."

"You think it is not worth ten thousand dollars?"

"No!" answered Mr. Fox, with emphasis.

"Then," continued Paul, "you will have no hesitation in accepting the offer I am about to make you."

"An offer?—you make me?" said the old man, suspiciously.

"Yes, sir. I offer you, in Mr. Bradford's name, five thousand dollars for your half of the mine."

"You offer me—five thousand dollars!" ejaculated Fox, staring at Paul in surprise and consternation.

"Exactly so."

"When I tell you it is too much?"

"Yes, I am offering you a good bargain."

"Do you mean to throw away Mr. Bradford's money?" gasped Fox.

"No; but if Mr. Bradford finds fault with me, I will stand the blame.""I don't understand this," said Mr. Fox, nervously. "You are joking with me."

"I may joke sometimes, Mr. Fox, but I would not be so disrespectful as to joke with you in a matter of this kind."

"Why do you offer me five thousand dollars when I say the property—the whole property—is not worth that?" demanded Fox, irritably.

"I don't understand you, Mr. Fox. You admit that I offer you a good price, and yet you make objection to accepting it."

"What would Mr. Bradford do with the mine if he bought it? He isn't coming out here," said Fox, eying Paul searchingly.

"I should select a man to superintend it."

"You!" repeated Fox, contemptuously. "What do you know about mines?"

"I should try to learn something," answered Paul, good-naturedly.

"I never in all my life heard of such a ridiculous thing as intrusting such important business to a beardless boy. Why, you haven't even a mustache."

"I hope to have one in due time," said Paul, laughing.

"Well, I can't waste any more time with you," said Fox, crustily, and he turned away."Stay a moment, Mr. Fox," said Paul. "I have made you a serious offer. Do you accept it or not?"

"No!" shouted Fox, angrily.

"Then all I can say is, you have refused a good offer."

"A good offer!" shouted Fox. "Why, the mine is worth——"

Then he stopped short in confusion, for he was about to commit himself badly.

Paul finished out his sentence for him.

"The mine is worth a good deal more than I have offered. That is quite true, Mr. Fox."

"I didn't say anything of the kind," snarled Fox.

"No, but you were going to. And now, Mr. Fox, as I see I can't do any business with you, I may as well tell you that I have sold out Mr. Bradford's share of the mine for a satisfactory price, and shall not have any further occasion to take up your time with business."

"You have sold Mr. Bradford's share?" ejaculated Fox, in dismay.

"Yes."

"To whom?"

"To Jim Scott."

"Jim Scott! I won't agree to it," returned Fox, in intense disgust, for he knew that he could not cheat his new partner."Your permission was not needed," said Paul. "Either of you had a perfect right to dispose of his share of the property to any one he pleased."

"Why didn't you offer it to me?" asked Fox, looking deeply disappointed.

"To be plain with you, Mr. Fox, because it has been your policy to depreciate the property. You wouldn't have paid five thousand dollars, while Scott has paid me more than twice as much."

"I must see him," muttered Simeon Fox; and he went back to the hotel, looking as if he had just been invited to his own funeral.

Two days afterward Jim Scott drew Paul aside.

"Paul," he said, "I have just sold my share of the mine to Simeon Fox."

"I hope you didn't lose anything by the trade."

"I guess not," chuckled Jim. "I made the old sinner pay sixteen thousand dollars."

"You don't say so!"

"He fought hard, but he had to pay it. And now do you know what I am going to do?"

"No."

"I have made four thousand dollars by the trade. I am going to give you half of it."

"Oh, Mr. Scott—Jim, I mean!"

"Yes, Paul. You helped me make the money, and half of it is fairly yours."Two thousand dollars! Paul was not sure whether he was awake or dreaming, but there flashed upon him all the advantage he would derive from so large a sum of money, and that he could emancipate his mother at once from the slavery of the needle, and he clasped Jim's hand in fervent gratitude.