Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-06-22


were strung across one corner of the
room to shut the boys bed from sight
A little stand covered with books, the
crimson covered lounge and a couple of
chairs completed the furniture of the
! room.
In Hopes own little room they had put
the pretty set of bedroom furniture that
had been their parents.
The stnffy untidy little kitchen was
stu6y and untidy no longer. Its walls
had been brushed down, its floors
scrubbed and the simple furnishings and
utensils arranged in the most orderly
manner.
Before the winter rains came down the
boys had cut away the great field of
weeds extending from the house to the
brook, leaving q short. dry stubble that
would readily yield 10 the pillow. The
high ground back of the house, a por-
ton of the pasture land to the north,
with their growth of wild grasses and
alfalfa, had been moved down, and a
very respectable hay stack made. They
had nearly finished pruning the old or
chard, when the first storm of the
winter came upon them.
The rain fell softly and steadily, as
the farmers or the Pacific slope
like to see it fall, so that the parched
earth absorbed it, while all veg
citation seemed to revive beneath it.
After the rain the blowing began, and
the boys enjoyed the rare delight of
turning the virgin soil; soil that had been
sarnerlng up its wealth from the begin
ing of time, that had never been robbed
by the hand of man. Before the next
rain came they had planted three acres
of the higher land in early peas. using
seed which Mr.. Abbott furnished them.
The young people found, to their de-
light, that the early rains only served to
swell tho volume and increase the cur
rent of 1.-The Brook for a few days,
after which the stream was readily
crossed with the raft.
CHAPTER IX.-A MYSTERIOUS JOURNEY.
"Martin, don't you want to take
ride with me to-morrow?'' asked DR..
John one day early 10 December.
s'I'li be very glad to, SIR and the
boys eyes sparkled with anticipation.
''Be on hand early in the morning,
say clock, and prepare to be away
the whole forenoon.
''Is 1t somebody very sick-or far
away?'' asked Martin.
"'Eh? Oh, yes-a good ways off -
replied the doctor.
Martin had read several stories of de-
tective experience, and he made up his
mind that he would have great talent for
the profession. He had never been able
TO wholly dismiss from his mind the
schoolmaster' 8 dark allusion to DR.. John
as "a man with history. - The doc
tors STANCE embarrassment over the
simple question impressed the boy, and
he lr,d nd IN hn xuif
curiosity and dread.
They were along the road to Oakland
before Martin realized where they were
going. So the DOCTORS patient lived
there, and must be some rich person to
afford to call a physician from such a
distance. But why should DR.. John
make such a mystery of it! Why should
he have cautioned the boy to say moth
ing about the ride TO anyone? Why
should he be so strangely silent all the
way? Why should be drive directly into
the heart of the city and draw up OIL a
business street, a few doors away from
one of the large banks?'
"Martin - ne said, producing small
bag of specie, ~ want you to do little
business for me. You see the bank over
there?'
"Yes, sir. -
''Take this money and say that Rich
ard Roe OF George Smith, or any body
you please, deposits it. Ask for bill of
exchange made out IN the name of Z. F.
Sherwood OF Philadelphia. Be very
careful about that last name. Better
write it down. -
Martin wrote down the name and wait
ed further instructions.
'Don't haze anything to say to any
IL haf 4 he va toll w
they ask you anything further, tell them
You don't know. Bring me the oertifi-
cate as soon as it is made out. Get away
from the bank as quickly as you can -
Martin took the bag IN his hands. 1t
contained considerable more money than
he had ever before handlsds yet he felt