Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-09-18

Mr.. Plumer. "Quite amillionaire. Iwon-
der you condescend to cook and wash dishes
for an insignificant individual like me-"
ssI know I've nothing of my own, grand
pa" admitted Patience, "but -"
"No, and you never will have" growled
the old man. "You're q careless, wasteful,
extravagant creature, and Charley Mercer is
lust such another. He was here this morn
ing to ask me to lend him five hundred dol
lars to buy out the goodwill of the store at
Deep Hollow. told him I'd see him fur
ther first. I'd just as soon throw my money
into we'll as lend it to him."
"Grandpa"
''Well, what now ?"
"You refused him ?''
81 Just did. And I'll do it again. Oh,
yes, know that you are engaged to him
and that you expect to get married on my
money. But you mistook your calculations
there"
"Grandpa," cried Patience, in choked
voice, "do you remember those nights
Charley Mercer watched with you, when
you had typhoid fever? Do you remember
that the doctor said his care and vigilance
saved your life?"
'Doctors are always talking some such
stuff" said Mr.. Plumer. "And besides, ne
was we'll paid for what he did. Didn't l
send him half bushel of seed-potatoes the
very next spring ?"
Patience turned away with sigh.
"Grandpa," said she, ''you are selfish
and ungrateful. Oh, must say it-I can't
keep it in any longer You are narrowing
down into perfect miserw
ga miser, am I ?" screeched the old man,
fairly foaming with rage. " And selfish?
and ungratefuI? Well, in that case, won't
trouble such very fine young lady as you
are to stay here and wait on me. Go and
quick as you please, and live OF crust, IN
the gutter won't have you here another
day" 49,. ,..:, ,..o ,,a,>o ;, so;a Do
tience, coloring. "BuJ spoke nothing
more than the truth. Yes, T am going to
marry Charley-and we shall struggle on as
best we can. We can not live more pow
erty-stricken life than | lead in this house,
where you have bags of gold and packets of
treasury bonds hidden away. But do not
want to leave you unprOvided for. will
stay here until you can get some one else to
come"
II tell you," reiterated Mr.. Plumer, II
won't have YOU in the house! Clear out
Pack up your things and go! I've given
you board and lodging long enough. Go, L
say %
So Patience hurriedly packed up her few
belongings, tied on her faded bonnet, and
took refuge with old Miss Clocker, who
kept d-and-needle store, and let out
the upper part of her house to dodgers.
No sooner had she left the house than Mr..
Plumer hastily trudged upstairs, with an
unwholesome perspiration breaking out on
his forehead.
$50 people know about the bag of eagles
and the leather wallet of government
bondsv' muttered he. "People know ev-
erything, believe! How do they find it
must find new hiding-place. I shall in
vest it all, in day or two, in that Gold
Mining Company on Stony Mountain
Creek-but until then-until them" He
pondered moment-and then an idea en-
tered his brain. ''I've got it =" he cried.
"I'll bury it in the stone wall by the CHM
ney of the old house."
At the northern boundary of the farm,
half hidden by overgroWn apple trees and
the swampy lilac bushes, were the remains
of the old house originally occupied by Eb-
enezer Plumer's father. Nothing remain
ed of it now save a monster stone chimney,
and an angle of the cellar wall, concealed
in rose briers and wild weeds. Tramps
slept there sometimes Of summer nights
there was rumor of the place being haunt
ed-and just beyond wound the peaceful
country road, arched over with maple trees,
and bordered on either side by a close mat
ted growth of perfumed white clover.
Hither crept old Ebenezer Plumer with
gold and bonds buttoned securely under his
coat, and maSon's trowel in his hand.
For it occurred to him that if he could Sc
crete his treasure behind one Of these huge
misshapen stones in the chimney, 1t would
be the safest repository.
1t was sultry summer day, and Ebene-
Zer Plumer was no longer q strong man.
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 behind the old
wall close to the road.
"Why," said Ebenezer to himself, "It's
Mr.. Carson, the President of the Gold Min
ing Company. And that other one is Major
Sheldon, the Secretary"
He was about to scramble out of his
retreat and challenge their attention, when
the sound Of his own name decided him to
remain quiet minute or two longer.
"I've almost knocked the side of the
house down, said Mr. Carson, sharply, ''and
sibly have become of the old fool %
II hope he hasn't taken fright" said
Major Sheldon. Confound this tin cup!-
the water leaks out at one end faster than
can swallow it at the other"
"It's essential that we get the money into
our own hands at once, said Mr.. Carson.
The steamer sails at noon tomorrow, 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 eyre
gious 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 Min
ing Company-that he has just lined our
pockets with his funds! Ha! ha ha"
"But he'll never find that outn' shouted
Mr.. Ebeneezer Plumer, scrambling to the
TOP of the ruinous old wall, so that his green
and-yellow countenance glared upon the
two Unconscious conspirators from q frame
of thistles and weedy-like trees. s'He may
be fool, but he amt fool enough to be tax
en- in by you! Get out of here, you miser-
able sWindlers, or I'll have you carted OF
to the pound! You are tresspassing on pri-
vate property, do you hear? Get out, l
sayw ,a a.oo
at the pair-it loosened the rest and an av-
alanch of bricks and mortar followed. The