Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-12-25
Ebenezer Piumer was no longer strong

The big drops of sweat stood on his
| brow as he toiled-and at last he sat
| down to rest.
He might even have gone to sleep if
he had not been reused by the sound Of
| voices, where some one was talking be-
mind the old well close to the road.
why" said Ebenezer to himself,
it's Mr.. Carson, the President of the
Gold Mining Company. And that
other one is Major Sheldon, the Secre-
tary."
! He was about to scramble out of his
retreat and challenge their attention,
when the sound Of his own name de-
| cided him to remain perdu q minute or
two longer.
'T'ye almost knocked the side of the
house down." said Mr.. Carson sharply,
| ''and no one is there! | wonder what
can possibly have become of the old
fool?''
II hope ne hasn't taken fright"
| said Major Sheldon. ''Confound this
tin cup! the water leaks out at one end
faster than l can swallow it at the
other"
tits essential that we get the money
| into our hands at once" said Mr.. Car
| son. 1.-THE steamer sails at noon to-
morrow, and we must sail with her.
And money we must have.
ooh, dare say it will be all right,
said the major serenely. He's such
an egregious old blunderhead that he'll
believe whatever you choose to tell
him. How he will stare, to be sure,
! when he finds out that there is neither
gold mine nor gold mining company
that he has just lined our pockets with
his funds! Ha, ha, hap
"But'll he'll never find that out!''
| shouted Mr.. Ebenezer Plumer, scram-
bling to the top of the ruinous old wall,
so that his green-and-yellow counten-
ance glared upon the two unconscious
| and weed-like trees. "He may be
| fool, but he amt fool enough to be
taken in by you Get out of here, you
miserable swindlers, or I'll have you
2arted off to the pound! You're tres
passing on private property, do you
hear? Get out, l say!"
In his enthusiasm he flung huge
stone down at the pair; it loosened the
rest, and an avalanche of bricks and
| mortar followed. The Hon. Fernando
Carson and Major Sheldon took precip-
itately to their heels, with a sort of
vague idea that the Day of Judgment
| had come without warning of any de-
scription, and poor Mr.. Plumer, falling
backward, was half buried in the debris,
| from which rose up q suffocating cloud
of dust and lime.
MY money! he gasped, my mon
ey!''
And then he recollected no more.
When, vaguely, and by slow degrees,
his senses returned to him, he was ly-
ing on the old calico lounge at home,
his forehead bandaged, and a smell of
camphor prevailing all the air-and he
could hear low voices in the adjoining
room.
Dear grandpa" said Patience, Il
am so sorry I said what [ did to him!
| Because he has brought me up and
| educated me, and I owe everything to
| him. Oh, Charley, do you think that
this is q Judgment on me for my undut-
iful Words?"
mot bit of itn' said Charley Mer-
| Ger cheerfully. Don't fret, Pay-the
old gentleman is sure to get. better.
He's jolly old file, after all, and we
should miss him terribly, if anything
! were to happen to him! But you heard
yourself what the doctor said-that it
was nothing but scalp wound. How
| do you suppose he came to be there, of
all places in the world?"
II can tell you," interposed a strange
| faItering voice from the calico lounge.
Gle was making q fool of himself.
That's how he came to be there"
'It's grandpa, said Patience, jump
ing up.
| ats the old gentleman" said Char
| ley Mercer.
"Come in here, you two," said Eben-
! ezer Plumer. 1--WE been pretty near
the edge of the other world, and things
don't look to me as they did twenty
four hours ago. Who was itfound me?"
Il did, sir, answered Charley Mer-
Ger. Il was coming across lots and [
saw the lime-dust rising up like q col
umn of mist. So I ran to see what the
matter was-and took you on my shout
der, and brought you home the best
way could. Though, to be sure, you
are no light weight, sir" he added
with laugh.
That's twice you've saved my life, y
1
| ought to hate me, Charley, but dom {
believe you do"
ooh, grandpa sobbed Patience,
whose pretty eyes were red with weep
ing.
..Indeed, sir, we don't, said Charley.
''Where's my coat?" said Ebenezer
Plumer.
ION the chair, grandpa, close by
you" answered Patience.
Hand it to me-"
He took out the bag of gold from its
inside pocket.
i Halo" said Charley Mercer soto
/ r0ce. mo wonder he was heavy to car
| ~"
Here, said he, ''take this, children.
Divide it between you, and set up your
housekeeping as soon as you please. y
Grandpa" cried Patience, ''do you
really mean it?''
''Of course [ mean it." said the old
| man. ''Why shouldn't /? I've 0ot