Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-02-08

ton.dollAr gold piece ? she inquired.
With pleasure" was the reply.
"By the way" she said, "the bank i.
In . very fourishing condition, is il
not?"
"None in the State on a better foot.
Ing" was the prompt response.
"You receive deposits, do you not p
"Yes, madam ; we receive them every
day.
"Do you receive as high as-as ten
thousand dollars7"
mo-" said the cashier. with some
surprise. "or, rather, we do not allow
interest on 30 large q sum. One thous-
and dollars is our limit. Did you know
OF any n who"
ut is OF no consequence" said the
widow, hurriedly II only asked for Gu
riosity. By the way, did you say how
much interest you allowed on such de-
posits as come within your limit?"
Five per cent, madam"
"Thank you. I only asked for curl
osity. What o beautiful morning II il. /"
and the widow tripped lightly out.
Shortly after the elder entered.
Slows business, Mr.. Cashier /" he
inquired
about "a usual
HAD many deposits lately7"
"None OF any magnitude"
II brought over Q woman this morn
ing who seemed TO have business with
you"
"Ths Widow Hayes2"
"Yes."
"Do you know" asked the cashier.
whether she had any money left her
latelyf"
"None that I know Of" said the cid.
Or, pricking mp his ears. "Why, did
she deposit any I"
"No; but she inquired whether we
received deposits rs high as $40, 600"
"Indeed |" calculated the elder. sis
that all she anne for 2" he inquired. Q
moment afterward.
mo, she exchanged a gold piece for
bills"
"Hap pondered the elder. reflect
lively. did she give any reason for
her inquiries7"
"No, she said she only asked for curl
osity."
The elder left the bank in deep
thought. He came to the conclusion
hat this curiosity only yelled q deeper
motive. He now no longer entertained
. doubt that the widow had found q Dot
OF gold in her cellar. and appearances
seemed to indicate that its probable val
ne wns at least equal to SO. 900. The
gold piece which she had exchanged at
the bank appeared to confirm this the
ory.
II rather think" said the elder to
himself, oomplac ,ntly, az can see into a
milestone about IS far as most people"
A statement, the literal truth of which I
defy any one to question, though as to
tho primo fact of people being able to
SEQ into a milestone at al doubts have
now and then thrust themselves upon
my mind.
The next Sunday the Widow HAYES
appeared at church in a new and stylish
bonnet, which led to some such remarks
- these:
"How much vanity some people have,
10 be sure II
"How a woman that has to keep
boarders for a living can afford to dash
out In such a bonnet js more than / can
tell. / should think she was old enough
to know better"
This last remark vas made by a young
lady just six months younger than tho
widow, and whose attempts to catch q
second husband had hitherto proved ut
terly u~navailing.
II suppose" continued the same
young lady, "she is trying to catch a
first husband with her finery. Before
I'd condescend to such means, ibid
drown myself"
In this last amiable speech the young
lady had unwittingly hit upon the true
motive. The widow was intent upon
catching Elder Boyd, and she INDUCED
In o costly bonnet, not because she sup
posed the elder would be caught with
6nefy, but because this would strength
en- In his mind the idea that she had
stumbled upon hidden wealth. Tho
widow calculated shrewdly, and the dis
play had the effect she anticipated.
Monday afternoon, the elder found an
eFrand that called him oyer to the
widows. 1t CHANGED to be just about
tea-time He was importuned to stay to
tea, and, somewhat to his own surprise,
actually did.
The polite widow, who knew the eld-
er's weak point, brought n Of her best
mince pies, q piece Of which her guest
Of with zest.
you'll take another piece, 1 know"
said she persuasively.
Really, l am ashamed" said the eld-
or ; but he passed his plate. 1.-THE fact
is" he said apologetically, "your pies
are 80 nice / don't know when to stop"
"Do you call those nice2" said the
widow, modestly. II call them COM
mon. l a make good mince pies
when / set ont to, but this time I didn't
have as good luck as usual"
~ shouldn't want any better" said
the elder, emphatically.
"Then I hope, ii you like them, you
viii drop in to tea often. We ought to
be more neighborly, Elder Boyd"
Elder Boyd assented, and he meant
what he said. The fact is, the elder
began to think that the widow was a very
charming woman. She was very comely.
and then she was such an excellent
cook. Besides, he had no doubt in his
own mind that she Was worth q consid-
cradle sun OF money. What objection
could there be to her becoming Mrs.
BoydP He brought this question be-
fore her n evening. The widow blushed,
protesting to be greatly surprised. In
TACT, she had never thought of such a
thing in her life, but, on the whole, she
had always thought highly of the elder,
and, to cut the matter short, she ac-
cepted him. A month afterward she
was installed rs mistress of the elders
large house, somewhat to the surprise
Of the village people, who could not on
ceive how she had brought him over.
Some weeks after the ceremony, the eld-
or ventured to inquire about the pot OF
gold which she had found in the cellar.
"Pot of gold |" sh> exclaimed, in sur
prise; II know Of none"
"But." said the elder, disconnected,
"you asked NE about whether the law
could claim it."
ooh, Lor', elder, I only asked for Gu
riosity."
"And was that..the reason you made
inquiries at the bank 2"
Certainly What else could it be ?"
The elder went out TO the barn, and
for half an hour sat in silent meditation.
At the end Of that time he calculated,
a. . closing consideration
cater al, she makes good mince
pies"
1t gives me pleasure to state that the
union between the elder and the widow
proved a very happy one, although to
the end Of his life he could never make
mp his mind about the Pot Of Gold"