Hence, while he again sought Miss Tinsel twice before his departure, and while his admiration, although respectful, was not concealed, he did not go so far as to ask the girl to become his wife. It appeared that after the run of the current spectacle at the theatre a "great tragedian" was to play an engagement there, and the opportunity was to be taken for the ballet and pantomime troupe to make a tour of the mines. Miss De Montague was to go as a chief attraction, and Miss Tinsel was to go also, and among the places they were to visit was Bullion Flat. These plans left open a space of three months, during which Harding could think of what he was at, and Miss Tinsel could think of what he meant, and several other persons who were interested could make up their minds what to do. The first step taken by Harding on his return was highly confirmatory, in the judgment of the Flat, of the opinion expressed by Jack Storm some time before. A contract was made with a builder, and close by the tent on the knoll there speedily arose a cottage of fair proportions, which was evidently meant to supersede the humbler structure which for a year had formed Harding's home. No one doubted his ability prudently to incur such an outlay. He had been saving to parsimony, and he had been prosperous. But why, when a tent had so long sufficed to him, and when he so disliked to part with money, he should go to so needless an expense, was so obscure that to accept Jack Storm's solution impugning Harding's sanity was the easiest and consequently the most popular way of solving the enigma. The cottage was built notwithstanding, and it was soon the subject of general remark that Harding was becoming more genial and "sociable" than before. He astonished Judge Carboy and Jim Blair by asking them to drink one night at the "Bella Union." He smiled affably and passed the time of day with Jack Storm and his other companions when they met to begin work on the claim for the day. He ordered champagne for the crowd on the evening when a green tree was lashed to the rooftree of his cottage on the knoll; and at last he raised wonder and surprise to their perihelion by actually giving a housewarming. "I know'd it all along," affirmed Judge Carboy that night to his familiars. They were taking a cocktail at the "Bella Union" by way of preface to "bucking" against Mr. Copperas's bank--"I know'd it all along. He's got a wife out East, and she's a comin' out to jine him in the new house." "Is that the 'suthin' you talked of that he was ashamed of, Judge?" laughed Jim Blair. "It looks like it, for sartin he never said nothin' about her."