Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-08-02


stone pavement in the sunshine, mutter-
ing to himself, and seeming to take no
heed of the outer world.
When Mr.. CroftOn came in to get his
dinner, he went for Uncle Malachi.
"Hes been settin' out there long
enough" said he; he's dreadful trial,
but we mustn't let him get the rheuma-
tiz."
But when they went together to the
sunny, stone-paved yard, the old man
sat there dead, with his glazed eyes
staring straight before him, and his jaw
dropped on his breast.
'Dead, eh ?" the neighbors comment
cd, in chorus. "Well, ! s'pose you'll
come into the property now, Mrs. Crof-
ton ?"
II suppose we should" said Mrs.
Crofton, feebly; "only nobody knows
whe re it is"
1t was true. The wrinkled, little, old
human magpie had kept his secret to
the last, and his niece and her daughter
were as poor as ever.
"Never mind, mother" said Nettie,
bravely. "We've done our duty, and
that's all that can be expected of any of
u.s."
In Uncle MalachPs old leather-strap-
ned memorandum book there was only
yellow bit of paper on which was
marked the figure 49,"
"Couldn't we make some sort OF a
clue out of that ?" said young DR.. Drew
the village Esculapius, who was to
marry pretty Nettie when they had
scraped together money enough to keep
them out of the Poor House.
'No, said Mrs. Crofton, shaking her
head. 'Three was always Uncle Ma
lachis favorite number. He bought a
lottery ticket once-number three-and
drew a prize of hundred dollars; he
nut of all business until the third day
of the month, if he wanted especial
good luck; he was born on the Sd OF
January, and"
"And be died on the Sd of May" said
DR.. Drew. "Well, it is rather a curious
| coincidence. However, you had better
keep this old memorandum, Mrs. Crof-
ton-it can do no harm and now we'll
60 to business.
1t was the day after Uncle Malachi's
funeral, and DIR. Drew had come to
prescribe for Mrs. Crofton's periodical
attack Of ague.
otis very strange" said the young
medical man. "There must be bad
draining somewhere. We can't attrib
ute it all to the swamp in the meadow
"There's no fault about the drainage
that know Of" said Mrs. Clofton, IL
the drawing listless tone that had be
come habitual to her Of late.
"Mother," said Nettie, perhaps it
the sunken we'll"
DR.. Drew pricked up his ears.
'sWhat sunken we'll :" said he.
"There was an old we'll close to tn
house." said Mrs. Crofton. cit neve
was much used, and it was dry most Q
the time. So, when they built on tn
other wing, they just paved it over an
built new one by the garden wal
That's the very stone pavement wher
Uncle Malachi used to take so muc
comfort in the sunshine, poor old man
"Ah p said the doctor, sits very POI
+ sible then, that we may be able to az
T count for this malarial affection. Hav
6 YOU a crowbar about the premises"
+ "You amt going to uncover the oil
wells" said Zebedee CroftoD, wh'
I, wrapped in blankets, was enduring hi
regular chill.
Y eyes, / am" said DR.. Drew.
Out they all three went-Doctor Dire
1 Mrs. Croft0n and Nettie. Nelghb'
Larkens was summoned to assist wit
b the crowbar.
}, 81 declared said Mrs. Crofton, "
- does most seem as if Uncle Malac
8 would rise out of his grave to preve1
+. us. He was dreadful partial to tf
7. spot"
"Well, it can't be of any more use
ir him now," said Nettie.
8. ''Hellow said DR.. Drew, ''there a
nine paving stones, aren't therep
J" "Three each way" said Neighbor Ii
is kens; "and the old well was directly u
Of dernsath the centre stone. Land o. G
D, sheni Irecollect coverin' it up as w
as if it we're yesterday"
ID ''Three times three" said DR.. Dire
10 "Perhaps that accounts for the old g