"If that's the case," he said, as with trembling hands he took a set of false whiskers and a steerage ticket for Naples from his pocket, "I shall not need these." Nevertheless, prudence bade him wait until he had seen the gold before destroying the paraphernalia of his possible flight, and oh, the joy of that Saturday morning, when Gasmerilda, having, by an almost super-human effort, having rid herself of the straw as her fairy godmother had bade her to do, led her trembling father into her boudoir and showed him the glittering bar! "Are you sure it's real?" he quavered. "I have had it stamped at the assay office, father," she replied. "See!" And she showed him the stamps of the authorized government test. "My child!" he cried, dancing about the room in a delirium of joy. "My beloved, my beautiful daughter--was ever miller so blessed as I! Wait!" Rushing madly to the jeweled 'phone, he rang up Colonel Midas. "Excuse me for bothering you, Colonel," he said, excitedly, "but this is Miller. I thought you would be interested to know that my daughter has turned the trick a little sooner than I expected. If you want to see the gold to-day instead of waiting until Monday, all you've got to do is to say so." The wire fairly sizzled with the reply. Of course, Colonel Midas would not wait. In fact, he'd be right up. How much did the miller think the gold would pan out? "Oh, about a thousand dollars," replied the miller. "What?" roared Midas. "A thousand dollars' worth of gold from a seven-dollar bub--bale of straw?" "That's the assay office estimate," said the miller, with a smile. "You can't very well go behind that." The answer was a long, low whistle, and within twenty minutes the great financier's car came chugging up to the door, and he entered the house, bringing with him a chemist. [Illustration: "THIS IS THE GREATEST CINCH IN THE HISTORY OF FINANCE"] "By Jingo! Miller," he cried, after the chemist had applied every known test to the bar and declared it to be, beyond all question, the real stuff, "by Jingo, old man, our fortune is made. This is the greatest cinch in the history of finance." "Looks that way," said the miller, calmly, leaning forward and tossing the steerage ticket into the waste-basket. "We--er--we must keep it in the family, Miller," the Colonel added, slapping the proud father familiarly on the knee--for Gasmerilda had remembered the fairy godmother's injunction as to the use of her eyes. "I intend to, Colonel," said the miller, dryly. "I'll keep it in _my_ family if you don't mind--" Midas gasped, and then he laughed sheepishly. "To think that I, a hardened old bachelor, should be a victim to love at first sight!" he said. "Very funny indeed," laughed the miller. "What would you say to me as a son-in-law, eh?" Midas went on. "You know I'm a decent chap, old man. No funny business about my private life--it's a good chance to get your daughter settled in life, and--"