, 1874-09-26
THE FOOL Of FIVE FORKS.

Fron, fhs .ycu York Timt&.


Hn Ilyod alone, do not think thio pecn}inritJ
.aroso from any wiah to withdraw lila foolinhnosB
from tho ycst ct tho camp, nor vaa It probable
thnt tho combined wiBdom OF Five Forks osof
drove him into o1ilo. Ny improaaon Is TINT no
1iyad alone from choico,--a cltnce ho matto lon6
before tho camp instuagod In any criticism OF his
montal oapaoity. Ho was much given to moody
rsticonco, aul. ntzhugh, 10 Outward appearances
a strong nlan waH always complaining oL III
hoalLb. Indeed, QUO theory of hs Isolation 'saa
that 1t afforded him better opportunities for
taking medicine, OF which llo AabituallY con-
aumod 1arge quantities.. l....-.
HiB fol|y first tnwnctt upon Fvo Forks through
tho Post Oltlco windows. Ho WAS for long tsmc
tl,e only mai wl,o wrote homo by evory inntl, LIB
letters beig a,ways direcse1 to Tho sa1ao orAon,
- woman. Now II 40 happened that the bu]k Of
thu Five Forks correspondence rms nnlln'ly the
other way +: thore were many ioters reeoivdtl,-
tho minority being in tho female hand,-but worry
few answered.
EsTho men received tnom lndtfrcrentiy, or as
matter Of courne; fow opened and read them
on the sput with barely rarreaeol umi!o Of pelf-
concclt. or quite nj frequently g1aneedo7ar them
with un,]isgused inpaticnce. Some Of the lot-
ters began with MY dear husbnnd," nnl some
rero neyor called for. But the fact thai tho only
coivcd my roply became at last quito noto~
rious. Consequently, when an envelope was re-
ceiycd bearing the stamp Of tho "peud Letter
Oflico" addressed TO tho Fool, u'n1er tho more
conventional title Of "Cyrua Hawlisns," there
WAC auito fevor Ut excitement. I Ito not know
how the secret leaked ont hut it waB eventually
known to lilo camp that the envelope contained
Haysknn' OWN letters returned. Thls' was lilo
first evidence Of his weakness !; any man WHO TO-
49, <FJ1 II ~ n SGnf
Was fool. think HAWKING suspected rlat his
folly was known to tho camp but he took rofuEo
in symptoms Of chtlle aud fovor, which he at
ouco developed, and effected a diversion With
cs Of pills. At oil events. at tho end OF week
be resumed pen, Btfffrnnd by tonicB. With all
his old oplstolatory. pertinacty. Tllla time tho
lettors had now ntltlrcsH.
In those t]nyB popular belief obtnincd in tho
mines that Luck particularly favored TIM foolish
and 1nacientific. Consequently, when llaWki1iH
struck s4pooliot' In tito hillside near his ao-
tary cabin, there was hut little surpriHo. "l1o
railug belief, ,predicatcd upon tho 'ta''al msn. I.
nor i'll which tho posseBsor OF "niggor-Ntch
disposed Of his fortune. 10 ovcrybodS'u aston.
iahmont, Hawkins after taking o1lt about Sa, ,tlo0
another. The emp then waited patiently to ECO
what he would do with ll's money ! thlnk, how
ever, Tint it rms with tho Ereaest difficulty their
indignation waH Kept from taking tho form OF
hGf&nllAl AH6HAlL Wut:ia ~ uEENH!c Athe ~
had purchased draft for $4,000 In favor Of
4that won,nn." Mora than this. it was finally
whispered TINT the draft waR returned to lin as
luis letters latl beeu aid that ho raH aRhalnou
wouldn't to IL bad speculation to. 50 Eaat, got
eome r1part gal for iU0 to tresa Enrself up niil
represent tllnt hng, and joat freeze ONTO tint
5000" suggeaed IL rseeing tinanc'or: n1hy
fair unl,unwn m "1'l,o lag" without having, I
an confident, tho loast Qualification for TINT cpl
thet. a
win largo stake according tn HAT popular
theory which l1nvo recorded IN tho preaching
paragraph, appeared nlno not Improbable orl'i-
consistent fnct. Tint he should. however, brcak
the bank which Air. 'lohn llan'ltn had ses up
in Fire forlsa. and carry OF . al,m ynriolisly
estimated at from 21U,O0O to 100000, and not re-
turn tho noxt dny aud losn the u1oneyat tho Hame
table, really appeared incrcdiblo., Yet such WAS
known Investment Of Alr. llawl;ins recontly-
acquired capital. ''1if he allows to send it
to TINT Ilng, said ono promnout citizen, "suthin'
ought to bo done It's jest ruin1n' tho reputa.
capital OH 1ion-roadents ez don't claim i'll !"
''lt's settir' MI example O. oxttaTaganco, said
nnother, "ex III little battcr nor swi!de. IhAls
morn five non in this camp thet. hearin' tibet
up and eond hnno their iard earnings, too !
And, then, to think thet Tint @8.000 was only u
bluff after nll and thet it's lyin' there On call in
Adams Il Co.'s bank! Well! / Say it's ore q
them things Vigilance committee ougl'tor look
When there seemed no possibility Of tIis repe-
tition OF IIawkinn' folly, the anxiety to know
what he Ind really dnno with his no'ley bocaina
Intense. At lsst aelf-appoinsod committee Of
four citizens dropred artfully, but to outward
appearances carefully. upon him in his aeclu-
sion. When some polite fornlalites had been
exchanged, aud somo easy vituperation Of a
backward season offered by eacll Of the parties;
Tom Winsa;c approached 4ho subject; .,
''sorter tlropped heavy on Jack lIamlin tho
other night, didn't yo? lilo allowH you didn't
give him no show for rovonse: | said yon wasn't
10 such id foo-aian't i, Dick Z" continued
EYES," said Dick promptly. "Yo,. Haid
$40 600 wasn't gon' to DO thrown around reck-
lessly. You nad cyr''s lGti Hat!,in, better tn do
With he capital" s.,,oraddesl Dick. with grnt't-
ttous manducity. II dislefnsmber now What par-
tickler Investment you said 10 was goil' to mike
with It," ho continued, appealing with oasY H.
di5foronco to Ills friend.
OF courso, Wiugate did not raply, but looked
At tho Fool, who, with troubled fnco, wun RIB
bling hin legs softly. After pa,sHe le turned
ieprccatngy towasd Lis visitor.
"Yo didn't opny Of 70 ever hoya sort OF
trcmbliu' in your losa-a kint q shakiness from,
- the knee down. 6utlln," he continued. slight
Gins like ehils, aud yet ain't cllillH. Kind O.
sensation Of goueness here, aud kind o feol;n'
as if you might dio sud!ent? WIiou Wrighta
pills don't aolnelnw rcAch tho spot, aild Qniultl0
don't fatcIl you ?"
"No," sud Wingate, with curt tlirectnos+,
.ud the air Of autlositatiyoy responding for ..ia
tI1enda No, never had. Ho" "as sponlf'hs o'
And yonr bowels all tho time irregular !: >
continued Hawkirs, hlushing under W.nSate't
eye, and set clinging despairingly to his thclno,
ikna shipWtcekod mariner to bis plank. >,
Winaato did not reply. bnt GLANCED Significant
Iv af tGo rest T[nwIjuA ayi1ent1Y EnH t11H rn