Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1872-01-11

Donne died, but that night, also, a chiid
was born 10 her son. And so another
Christmas passed away.
The war had long been over. now, and
the land began TO DO prosperous once
more The little cottage began TO look
more comfortahle an addition had been
built 10 il, and the little plot of ground
adjoining had been Enclosed with picket
fence Near the further end OF this in
closure stood the venerable oak tree; II
was looked upon with respect and rever-
ence. as being in some way connected
with the destiny of the family. The say
ing of the old crazy woman about the
treasure had been handed down from the
last generation, and was now thought TO
refer 10 the oak, though how no one could
tell A circular bench had been con-
structed around its trunk, on which the
old widows son, himself an old man now,
used TO sit and chat with his children in
the summer afternoons. Often was the
story of the winters night fifty years be-
fore repeated, when grief and horror had
driven the wife of the skipper mad; and
many time was the meaning of the strange
sentence so often on her lips discussed.
The old oak listened and longed to drop a
word into the conversation which should
render all the mystery clear; but it could
only sigh and murmur rustic unintelli
gibly with its leaves; and sometimes, had it
not been for the reassuring thunder of the
urf upon the rocks, it would have quite
lost heart and hope. But its immemorial
friend was just as fresh and vigorous and
confident as when the oak first peeped forth
out of the acorn, and kept up the trees
spirits in its own despite. They would
have risen high enough could that dead
weight Of gold and silver at its roots have
been lifted from its position.
Still time went on, and full eighty years
had passed since the night OF the skip
pcr's tragic death. His son had followed
him, and now third generation, newly
introduced into the world, climbed on the
knees of parents who were already APP
preaching middle age. One, a fair-haired
girl, with wide blue eyes, was called Mil
drcd, after her great grandmother, whom
she was believed closely to resemble. She
was singular child, shy and reserved in
manner, and fond of wandering off by
herself among the rocks and trees, listen
ing to the roar of the surf and the sigh
ing of the wind. Her favorite position
was at the foot of the old oak tree; she
would sit with her fair head leaning
against its rugged bOle, running over in
her mind the strange stories of by-gonc
years, and striving, in her childish way
to fathom the mystery which seemed to
underlie them. The ancient tree seemed
to cast a peculiarly grateful shade about
this child, and perhaps succeeded better
than ever heretofore in establishing some
sort of communication. Mildred loved
it with all her heart and told it all her Sc
crcts; and the tree received them in the
most sacred confidence, never repeating
them even to the ocean. The latter, how
ever, appreciated the delicacy Of the
oaks feelings and never took the least Of
Tense. So the three became and remained
fast friends long after the girl had ceased
To be u child.
Meanwhile the affairs at the cottage had
shared in the general prosperity. Mil
drcd's parents had striven to give their
children better education than they
themselves had had their sons were sent
to college, and Mildred's naturally re-
fined and thoughtful nature received such
improvement as study and accomplish
ments could give it.. But, when all had
been done, and the sons had gone forth
into the world, all the money which had
been saved was spent, and soon after
came the war of 81, and times were hard
again, and prospects gloomy. The tree
wondered whether the hour to deliver up
its secret had not yet come.
One day in August, a young man, cle-
gantly dressed, with Il valise in his hand,
came to the cottage door and asked if he
might have lodging there. All the hotels
were filled, and this was his last chance.
The Donnes were pleased with the young
mans frank address and engaging man
ner, and finally consented to receive him;
and he soon became a favorite with them
ALL He was rich and well connected,
and told them many tales of the outside
world which they had never known but
when he talked his eyes most often sought
sympathy from Mildred's and it was she
who listened to him with the most rapt
attention and not many weeks had passed
before they knew they loved each other.
Sitting together one evening, beneath
the oak tree, Mildred told her lover the
weird story, which, from her frequent
musings over it, had become to her as
real as if she herself had been an actor in
it, He listened to it in silence, and then
remained for some time plunged in
thought.
"What was the name of the Custom
House Saptaln! aSkcu ne, NJ ldSt
81 never heard" answered Mildred
Because" continued her companion,
''your story reminds me somewhat of a
tradition in our own family, which resided
somewhere here, about hundred years
ago. My great grandfather is said to have
ridden at the head of u party of Custom
House officers, to arrest desperate pirate
who was believed to have gotten posses
| sion of vast amount of treasure. They
| encountered the whole crew just as they
were on the point of embarking, and on
their refusing to surrender, at once at
tackled them. My great-grandfather was
killed by the pirate captain, though not
before he had himself sent bullet through
his murderer's heart. But no treasure
was ever discovered"
"How stranger" murmured Mildred,
with wide open eyes and then her moth
er's voice called in the young people from
the cool night air
They were to be married that winter,
and Holinshed was to build handsome
villa on the site of the old cottage. The
library window was to come right under
the shadow of the ancient oak tree, and
they were all to live together happily for
evermore. Early in October, Holinshed
left them, to arrange his affairs and make
his preparations. In a month he was to
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