The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-12-15


inent; t65 much astopished to speak.
Then the memory OF the soft eneir-
cling warmth of the coal fires In my
own home came over me once more,
anH urged ME on: -.
dali modren ways are not barber
ous," persisted. "When the Lord
vas ready for men to use coal he
S,rought it to light If you would
but try it once you would never go
back t5 WOOD; It is theApef; to-"
''If it were cheap as dirt it should
never be burned in my house, cried
Uncle Hugh, holly: Then, master
Ing hts emotion with an evident effort,
he added, with Ills old-time courtesy:
II crave your pardon, Elinor. Tfes5
subjects would willingly avoid; but
this will say: Your last argument
lis false, for cheaper it is not. The
wood lies at my door, but how far
must Til. coal Be fetchedW
I had forgotten that point; and
vexation at mp Slip, j6ined to the
tffects IF the miserable cold, nearly
got the better of my temper. l tried
to turn it off with d joke. "Yoq
bavs only I'd big up S6af bftrisa
treasures"-but l stopped, short in
dismay. For Uncle Hugh had start
ed to his feet, his face white, his eyes
glaring, his hair fairly bristling in
spite of his tightly tied queue.
"What! what" he stammered,
scarcely able to speak. "Who has
been telling youl Who has been put
eing notions ions into spur head7 What
"Dear Uncle Hughl'' l cried, terfif-
ed at his emotion. "Sit down. Do
calm yourself. 1t was only miser7
able joke. The country people used
to say that Captain Kidd's treasure
was buried here, you know, and it
Just happened TO come into my mind.
It was stupid OF Tie to-, speak Of it;
but d8; do forgive me"
nerved; trembling Ii t1efS limb:
Gradually the color returned to. his
face, and he regained the self-control
which he had 90 strangely lost: That
/ list myself Ill wondering coniectures
need hardly be said. III SGit stfeee
to pierce the mystery, to piece to-
gether my childish recollections and
old Andrews story. They were like
two halves Of different puzzles. Do
what / would / could not fit them to
each other. II one aided me to q
plausible solution, the other came up
and ufidid all Thy work, until at last
t did what it would HAYS beeh wiser
to do at first, simply gave the whole
thing up and tried to- turn my atten-
ton To 6ther matters;
t had Enough ts think IF just at
this time: III have not spoken BE-;
fore of the part which Philip played
Id my life It was because it seemed
that e1i'efy One must know Of It
seems impossible for any one to think
of me apart from Philip or OF Philip
apart from me, so completely one
have we been since our earliest child
hood. When / went home; early in
the spring, it was to make prepara-
tioHs fer my marriage, which took
place in August:
Tie old proverb in regard to the
course Of true love had not been veri-
fed in our courtship. Therefore, per-
haps, it was but just that our mar
ried life should not move on altogeth-
er smoothly, as tar as outward events
were concerned. If there was an I'M
lucky investment possible our money
was in it; if a bank failed or COM
t3aiiy went to smash there were we in
the midst ST it: When We were re-
duced to living in a low-priced fat,
and Philip was q bookkeeper for
Grogram & Co., we thought the
worst had come upon US. Then Gro
gram & Co. failed, and we sat down
and looked at each other, not ex-
actly in despair, for we still had each
other, but certainly in dire perplexity.
81 wonder whether Uncle Hugh
would let me dig up some Of his
buried treasures i'll went on my knees
to him?" asked ruefuly.
just then we heard the postman's
signal, and Philip went to see what
he had brought.
'Many q true word is spoken In
iest," said Phillip, as he came back
reading a letter.
"What is it, Philip" I asked, and
looked up little pale and shaken.
"Uncle Hugh is Dead" he said,
quietly.
1t was not a shock. for we had long
been expecting the news. The poor
old gentleman had been failing fast,
and for some time had been confined
entirely to bis bed. He had passed
away quietly in his sleep, without a
sound or sigh. When we had talked
of it for a little while I remembered
Philips observations, as he came in,
and asked him whatitmeant.
Philip smiled, "You know, of
course he said "that we-Nanny,
Charley and I-are Uncle Hugh's sole
"Well,"I said obviously, cit will
not be much divided among three.
You know he spent most ofhis money
fighting the railroad company"
'You forget the buried treasures, "
said Philip, with curious twinkle in
his eye. -
"Philipl" 1 cried, Indignantly, 81
shouldn't think you'd go making
stupid jokes now"
Philip became grave instantly.
"It is not a joke, ! assure you, my
dear. The simple fact is that Mount
Graham stands over a coal
bed. My grandfather had always
suspected the fact, and he once
took up mineralogist to make sure,
but the effect on Uncle Hugh was SO
dreadful that he never dared to al
lude to it again. He told my father
of it, however, making him promise
to keep it secret as long as Uncle
Hugh should live. My father, in his
turn, told me, under the same re-
strictions. Uncle Hugh, as we all well
know, was half insane, and any at
tempt to use the knowledge would in
fallibly have pushed him over the
brink"
aRut how can we use it now,