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Hughie Erskine was a handsome young man with kind blue eyes, smooth brown hair, and a cheerful smile. Everyone liked him because he was gentle and polite. He had many friends, but he was not rich. He tried different jobs, but nothing ever lasted long. He wanted to earn money, but fortune never seemed to favor him. Despite that, he was always well-dressed, even if it meant spending his last few coins on clothes.
He was in love with a sweet girl named Laura Merton. She was the daughter of a retired colonel who loved her dearly but cared a lot about money. The colonel wanted Laura to marry a man who could provide for her comfortably. When Hughie asked for her hand in marriage, the colonel refused immediately, saying, “Come back when you have ten thousand pounds of your own, and then we will see about it.” Poor Hughie felt heartbroken, but he was determined to find a way.
One afternoon, Hughie went to visit his friend Alan Trevor, a talented painter. Alan was a rugged man with a kind heart but a rough way of speaking. He often painted portraits of people, and his studio was filled with the smell of paints and turpentine. When Hughie entered, Alan was busy painting the life-size portrait of a beggar. The beggar looked so real that Hughie stopped at once, staring in surprise.
The beggar was dressed in tattered clothes, his face wrinkled and tired, with a grey beard and bare feet. He looked so poor and sad that Hughie’s heart was touched with pity. Alan laughed and said, “Isn’t he splendid? I think this will be one of my best works.” Hughie nodded, still staring at the old man. The beggar was sitting quietly, holding a hat in his hand, as still as a statue.
Alan told Hughie that the beggar was a professional model who came to pose for artists. “He earns a few shillings a day,” said Alan, “and he’s happy as long as he gets his money.” Hughie felt sorry for him anyway. He checked his pocket and found only one sovereign—the last gold coin he had. Without thinking much, he slipped it into the beggar’s dirty hand, whispering, “Here, my good man, take this. It’s not much, but it may help you.” The beggar looked up and gave him a grateful smile.
When Alan returned from washing his brushes, Hughie tried to leave quickly, embarrassed that he had given away money in front of his friend. But Alan stopped him and teased, “You’re a funny fellow, Hughie! Giving tips to my models! I hope you know that every minute of this man’s time costs me money.” Hughie laughed nervously and said, “I couldn’t help it, Alan. He looked so miserable.” Then he waved goodbye and left the studio.
That evening, Hughie met Laura and told her what had happened. She laughed sweetly and called him the kindest man in the world, though she also sighed, knowing they still needed money to marry. Hughie said he would visit Alan again soon, though he often felt awkward because Alan’s friends were rich and famous, while he was poor and unknown.
The next day, while Hughie was sitting in his small apartment thinking about his situation, a servant knocked on the door. The man wore fine clothes and carried a large envelope. He asked, “Are you Mr. Hughie Erskine?” Hughie nodded, wondering what it could be. The servant handed him the envelope and said, “From Monsieur Gustave Naudin.” Then he bowed and left without another word.
Hughie opened the envelope and was astonished. Inside was a letter and a cheque for ten thousand pounds! The letter read: “A wedding present to Hughie Erskine and Laura Merton, from an old beggar.” Hughie’s hands trembled. He could hardly believe what he saw. Ten thousand pounds—the exact amount Laura’s father had demanded!
He rushed out of his room and ran all the way to Alan Trevor’s studio. Bursting in, he cried, “Alan! Who was that old beggar you were painting?” Alan looked at him in surprise and said, “Oh, you mean Baron Hausberg.” Hughie gasped, “Baron Hausberg? Who is that?” Alan laughed heartily. “Why, he’s one of the richest men in London! He has houses, ships, and shares in everything. He just likes to amuse himself by playing odd roles. Yesterday he asked to be painted as a beggar, and I agreed.”
Hughie was speechless. He told Alan about the envelope and the cheque. Alan roared with laughter until tears came to his eyes. “My dear boy,” he said, “you’ve made the best investment of your life! Giving away one sovereign has brought you ten thousand pounds!” Hughie smiled, still in shock, and said softly, “I can hardly believe it.” Alan clapped him on the back and said, “Go and marry Laura at once, you lucky fellow!”
That evening, Hughie visited Laura and told her everything. She was so happy that she burst into tears. “You see, Hughie,” she said, “your kind heart has been rewarded. The Baron must have been touched by your generosity.” They decided to tell Laura’s father, hoping that this miracle would finally change his mind.
When Colonel Merton heard the story, he could not believe it either. “Baron Hausberg!” he exclaimed. “I’ve heard of him. He’s one of the greatest financiers in the country. How extraordinary!” But when he saw the cheque, his eyes widened in amazement. At last, he smiled and said, “Well, my boy, it seems you’ve earned my daughter after all.”
Soon the wedding was arranged. It was a lovely ceremony attended by friends and family. Alan Trevor was the best man, and Baron Hausberg himself came to bless the couple. Everyone admired the Baron’s generosity, and Hughie could not stop thanking him. The Baron smiled kindly and said, “My dear Hughie, it was your good heart, not your money, that made you a model millionaire.”
Years later, Hughie often told his friends about the strange adventure that changed his life. He never forgot that small act of kindness that had returned to him a hundredfold. Whenever he saw someone in need, he helped them with a smile, remembering the day he met the beggar who was really a millionaire.
The story of Hughie and Laura became known among their friends as a lesson that true wealth is not in gold or silver but in kindness and generosity. Hughie continued to work hard, though he was now comfortable. He often said, “I was poor once, but I was rich in heart—and that’s what brought me everything.”
Even Alan, who once laughed at Hughie’s simple ways, often told others about his friend. “There’s no greater masterpiece,” he would say, “than a man with a kind soul.” The Baron sometimes visited them for tea, and each time he came, Hughie would laugh and call him “my dear beggar friend.” The Baron would smile and reply, “And you, my dear Hughie, are the real model millionaire.”
Thus, Hughie’s life changed not through cleverness or luck, but through a single moment of compassion. His one act of kindness touched the heart of a rich man and brought happiness not just to himself but to everyone around him. And from that day, wherever he went, people admired him not for his money or looks, but for his good heart that had made him truly rich.