342 
THE RED MOUNTAIN OF ALASKA. 
to think of anything beyond your health ; that's why I 
came, to take — care — of you — " 
Here the poor woman, worn with the final anxiety of 
the last few days, actually sobbed. The reaction was too 
great, and she was unable to go on. 
Now, Mr. Dutton was not one of that sort of men who 
think it fun to " tease." He recognized the fact, as 
every true, manly boy will, that giving pain to any one 
under the name of " teasing " is a disgraceful and cruel 
sport. 
So he just crossed right over to his wife, sat down on 
the big log beside her, and drew her head down on his 
shoulder. 
" There, there, dear ! " said he, " it isn't quite so bad as 
you think. I've been trying to tell you, but you wouldn't 
listen to comfort. Who said we were disappointed ? " 
^^Why, Robert, here 1 " 
" No, indeed. He merely said the mountain was not 
one of cinnabar. You stopped him, my dear, before he 
could go on to tell you that, although that fairy dream of 
a whole mountain of wealth (which I don't believe either 
of us really entertained in our serious moments) could not 
be realized, we have not been left to spend the remainder 
of our lives in abject poverty, nor yet in that condition of 
well-to-do-ness which we have enjoyed at Sheldon. I am 
not sure that ' Dutton University ' will prove a myth 
after all, Ella." 
" What do you mean, John ? " 
