“Is there no hope of his recovering his mind?” asked Tom, anxiously.
“The doctor says that anything which will recall his old life may restore his lost faculties. I think your presence, and what you could tell him of your mother, and his old home, may have a very important influence upon him.”
“Then I must go to him as soon as I can,” said Tom.
“Your eagerness is natural. A week hence I shall myself return. If you will wait till then I shall be able to introduce you to his presence. He knows me, and considers me his friend.”
“Dr. Spooner,” said Tom, “I shall be sorry to leave you and Mr. Brush, but I feel that I ought to go to my father as soon as possible.”
“Of course, of course, Tom,” said Peter; “but we sha’n’t be separated. We will all go together.”
“Then,” said the banker, “I shall be able to complete my business with you all. I have bought your gold dust, you remember, and must settle for it. I can do so better in San Francisco than here. Besides, I shall have a large account to settle with my young friend here.”
“Yes, the gold dust which I found I shall return to you with interest.”
“But you have spent the interest on my father.”
“Only a small part. Let me tell you, my boy, that that gold was the foundation of my fortune. It amounted to a little over twelve thousand dollars. I invested in building-lots in the city, and sold out at an immense profit. I am now worth half a million, and that was the nucleus of my fortune.”
“Half a million!” exclaimed Peter Brush, regarding his guest with awe.
“Yes. Now, let me tell you what I propose to do. To my young friend, Tom, I will turn over twenty-five thousand dollars, if he will give me a receipt in full for the money belonging to his father, which I have been using for eight years.”
“Twenty-five thousand dollars! Mr. Percival, that is too much.”
“It is not enough, but if you are satisfied, I will accept the rest as a voluntary concession of your rights.”
“Twenty-five thousand dollars will make us all rich,” said Tom, his eyes glowing with joy. “Mother can live like a lady.”
“In that case,” said Tom, “I won’t claim any of the gold which we have found here. Doctor, I give you and Mr. Brush my share.”
At first his two friends opposed this, but Tom was firm, and, knowing that he was now rich, they ceased their opposition.