Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-02-02

married French girl OF family, and
died suddenly in Lyons. About the
same time the homestead here was
burned to the ground. When the war
was over his widow, with her infant
son, came to Philadelphia and made
search, secretly, for certain valuable
plate and papers, which she affirmed
had been hidden in an underground
vault somewhere on this property.
Among them were the title deeds to the
Liverpool ground. Whether she had
mistaken her husband as to the precise
spot, OF whether the falling ruins had
completely blocked up the entrance, /
don't know. But do know that neither
plate nor papers were ever found, and
that they are here now. Probably under
our feet"
Probably under our feet.' muttered
Len, with long breath.
s'You know the story of the Heaths
after that better than do. How they
have gone down, down, for lack of
money, until the old stock has ended
in
"a biacksmith's shop"
"In two young men, one of whom
has strength enough to bring back all
the fortune of his race cycling him
shrewdly.
"Yesv' standing up. His hollow cheeks
burned: "You do not deceive yourself IN
Leonard Heath"
Il hope not. l propose that you under
take this search as quietly as may be. /
would not trust even your brother with
the secret"
Certainly shall not trust Joe. There
would be no surprise in that case. I'll
disappear out of their sight. They shall
think me dead-Winny and all Some
day III come back and bring the keys of
fairy land. I'll shower gold on them"
"There's no doubt of it, taking snuff
'Your first aim must be the title deeds
Remember"
1.-The ground is some Of the most valu-
able in Liverpool, you ssy"'
''No, but it has great value. 1t Is close
~ built over with dwelling houses, owned
generally by their occupants. That class
of people viii be more readily ousted than
large corporations would have BEEN
"But7-Ieonard stood up, shocked and
startled-'~h I succeed, Ludlow, these
people will be homeless"
Hundreds Of them. The more the
better for you. That's their business.
What right had the cursed beggars or
their grandfathers to squat on your
ground?'
ssThat's tI1Ie-thatS truen
"You are homeless. If you can afford
to give away your property to them it's
a sort of generosity can't appreciate"
II don't mean to give it away. And yet
these men probably paid hard money
or labor for that ground, and thought
they bought it honestly, while I never
heard of it till last week. 1t looks like
wholesale robbery He spoke with
sort of gusty vehemence which evapo-
rated with the words. The Englishman's
cool sneer cowed him. He ended with
feeble, ''What do you think, eh?''
81 don't understand such gcnteel SEN
timents. I'm business man, am. You
throw the venture up, thenT'
"By no means 1t was only a passing
idea Of mine. We owe you too much for
discovering the facts to throw them no
now. By the way, we will reward you
handsomely, Mr.. Ludlow. You may de-
pend on Joe and me-"
"I'u take one-third as. my price when
the claim is established" dryly.
you'll take-one third!' his jaw fall
ing.
Eyes. The finding of the deeds is but
a beginning. Ny work begins then. You
blacksmith boys could as easily set the
machinery Of English law in motion as
you could work a steam engine by the
breath Of your mouth"
Il suppose that's true'-stroking his
thin whiskers vaguely.
''You II find how true when you try to
work without me. You'll make the ven
ture. manipulating up his lantern.
Yes; will be here tomorrow night"
Leonard got up, looking around him into
the damp shadows. Il viii not leave
this house until have dragged my luck
out Of it. Other men kneel and pray to
Fortune, but | mean to take her by the
throat; hey, Ludlow"
by the throat. eh? To be sure-the
throat. Well, I'm for some punch now;
will you Gomez No? Tomorrow night,
then, we'll Gust the internal beggars. The
throat. eh*-with an approving nod and
chuckle.
II.
"Just call them off, uncle, will your
Ben stu1uped on his wooden leg across
the kitchen for his cpectacies and slip
of paper, then back again, turn ebout,
right face, into position behind the clean |
skinned, roly-poly little girl who, with
her hands rolled up in her bingham apron,
was tip-toeing and clucl,ing aoout before
the little plaster busts on the dresser, like |
a fusSy hen over her first nestful of white |
eggs.
-Four Virgin Marys; ditto dogs with |
basket; one Fellora; two Bacchuses: two |
Doubfuls. What's that, Winifred?"
Spoiled in the baking; they go in as
Doubtfuls. seppy gets rid Of them as
Jupiters or George Washingtons, accord |
ing as customers run. How had we
better set them out, uncle? leonardo |
come in at that door"-snufiing the !
candles anxiously.
"Td ad,ise a semy eircle, 80 as to give
him the fall view at wunst."
81 wish you'd help"
kin I? I'll be very keerful, Winny- |
IL 1f