Diamond Dick, Jr.: The Boys' Best Weekly — page 4: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

= DIAMOND DICK, JR. OUT OF SIGHT. having expressed a desire to break away from the beaten paths and see something with which other eyes had not become fainiliar; and hence, while strange they had never heard of the lake before, it was not greatly to be wondered at under the circumstances. Humphryes, surprised to find that they knew nothing about it, called himself its discoverer and promptly named it Lost Lake. More than that, an idea came to him that he would like to own it and there build him a mansion and end_ his days in peace apart from the maddening crowd. And why not? He had the means, and it would be something to occupy his time and afford him amusement—for he had grown world-weary, so he said. In ashort time his agents had made the purchase from the governiment, and he began to carry out his plans. Employ- ing a ‘large force of men, he soon had a wide tract cleared, anda fine drive lead- ing to the railroad two miles away on the north. Here he put in a side track, and heré the railroad company delivered all the materials used by him in the bold contrast he was working out—a contrast between art and nature. Of course, it was a rich thing for the railroad and the many men to whom it gave employment. The place caine to be known as Humphryes’ Hernitage. At last it was done, and a railroad station took the place of the lone side- track there in the mountains. It was built at Humphryes’ own expense, and trains stopped there only on signal or to let off passengers. And passengers were more numerous than might be supposed. The mad tmillionaire—ashe was also called—was aroyal entertainer, aud was seldom alone in his tnountain retreat. Late one afternoon a train cametoa stop at this lone station, and a man and a woinan alighted and walked up the road that wound its way up the steep mountain, The map was of middle age, witha erim, sterfi cottntenance, carrying an overcoat over his left arm—a lightweight overcoat, and a gripsack in “the same hand; his right arm and hand being used to assist the young woman, who did not seein to be well. She wore a veil, no one on the train had seen her face, and no one had heard her speak. She seemed to be entirely dependent upon the man who accoim- panied her, and he, to one inquisitive fel- low passenger, had said that the young woman was his daughter. That she was young her form revealed; and it was be- lieved that she must be handsome, too. When the conductor stepped back into the car, after letting the passenger off, he was accosted bya young man who touched him on the elbow. He glanced in the direction of the pas- senger, and inclined his ear. ‘What station was that?’’? the young mat inquired. ‘We call it Humphryes’ Hermitage,’’ the conductor responded. ‘*Never knew there was such a station here, and I have been over the road a number of times.”’ “No? Well, wait a few minutes and I’]1] come back and tell you all about it, if you would care to hear the story. It isn’t on the time-tables ; only a private station.’ ‘'Be more than pleased to hear about he ‘(All right.”? The conductor passed on and the young inan settled down in his seat as before. He was hardly more than a youth, and as handsome as an Apollo, with heavy yellow hair that rested upon his shoul- ders, and keen, magnetic eyes—in short, Diamond Dick, Jr. , In a brief time the conductor returned and dropped into the seat beside him, and then was told the story of the mad inillionaire’s folly, substantially as we have set it forth, Bertie listening with interest to the end, when he remarked: ‘Rather a queer chap, I imagine. Was that he who got off?’ “Oh, no, that wasn’t him.” ‘Who was it?”’ ‘Don’t know; never saw him before.’ ‘‘Nor the young woman ?”? ‘‘No. But then, lots of people get on and off here, so that don’t signify any- thing.” ‘There must be an attraction at Humphryes’ Hermitage, I imagine, if that is the case.”? | Comnnicoooks.com