Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1892-04-30

gN@SnsTS7TTssTeA envy. Hester and
| bad six months
Of it endeavoring to secure a claim by
homestead entry, and we were somewhat
weary of our undertaking.
81 am sorry we didn't stick to school
teaching back in Gods country, as these
Westerners say, instead of burying our
selves alive out here on the plains, :"
Hester began for the fiftieth time in
week and for the first time was spared
the exertion of making a reply
A knock came at the door of our
cabin.
opened it and saw before me long.
limbed and awkward farmer, just out OF
his teens.
81 brung yer mail along from town, Z"
he mumbled, handing out a bundle of
papers and two letters. Hester jumped
for them.
ooh, thank you,'' she cordially ex.
claimed. "We are so much obliged.
Won't you come in?"
mo, thank ye, miss, must be goin'.
You git pile of mail, don't ye?n
Not much; half dozen papers and
few letters"
"Waal, it's more'n all tn rest of tn
settlement gifts. Say, wouldn't you like
to go to spellin school next Tuesday,"
this last to Hester, who was oblivicu; to
it, being immersed in the reading of her
letter.
"Yes--no-well, I'll see," she sta n.
mered, looking up, aud the farmer boy
bowed himself off the step aud was soon
entering away homeward
"The BOBBY" muttereI Hester and
then for half hour neither spoke, the
mail attracting all our attention. The
old home paper, published in the little
town in Central New York where we ha /
both taught school, and the favorite
magazine were read first aud thea came
the big city weekly that we subscribed
for to get the news of the world.
Suddenly Hester spraus to her feet.
'Listen to this, will you Here's a
fortune for US, mtybe. Do You remeu,-
Der those two men we saw 90 up the
rsvine yesterday
had half forgotten them, aud said
SO.
"Wcll, l know what they're here for.
Just listen
Considerable excitement has been
caused by the disappearance OF the famous
Pueblo Nugget, discovered by some miners
IN Colorado last year. u has been stolen
from the cabinet where il was kept. and il is
thought to have been hidden by the robbers
IN the foot hills of the mountains. A mum
Der OF parties are prospecting for it as tn
nugget was very valuable, being worth at
least 25, 000 1t is certainly worth hunting
for
THAT is all very well, rejoined,
"but | don't see what it has to do with
the men,
why, they're hunting for it. They
think it's hidden up this valley, and you
can tell by the looks Of them that they re
scicutifc-thcre they go now
Sure enough the strangers were pass
ing the house, following up the stream.
They were weil-dressed, aud the Younger
wore handsome eyeglasses. They carried
pick and hammer, and were talking
earnestly as they walked.
Hester flattered her nose against one Of
the two pancs os glass and followed them
with her eyes.
81 don't believe they We a right to it, =
she calculated.
"To WHAT
ITO the nugget. Its on our farm
and they can't come and take it.
Talk about jumping at conclusions
Maybe you know just where the nugget
is"
''rm certain they're after it and I'm
going to watch them
Less because | shared Hester's absurd
belief in the nugget thaa to look after
her, | hastily put on my sunbonnet and
accompanied her.
STEADY now" she ordered when we
reached the bed of the stream, now dry
except for occasional little pools. Gus,
think, Marg," Hester stopped to say,
twenty-five thousand dollars What
couldn't we do?"
Better wait till VIC get it. Look
outr'
The strangers had stopped, and were
talking little way ahead. We crouched
behind some saplings, aud heard one OF
them say as they started on 'It's sure
to be worth big money. 1t will surprise
people some, wontit?'
Hester's eyes bulged, and she nodded
her head as if to say, II told you so.
The men went on, and again we fol-
lowed. When perhaps half n mile had
been traversed there came sharp turn
IN the rayine, and the wall on the outer
side was steep aud bare, but broken into
narrow terraces.
The men stopped at the foot of the
bluff and began to throw off their coats.
They're going to dig for itn ex.
claimed Hester in breathless whisper,
if such an expression is allowable.
"We're still on our claim, and we'll have
n right to the nugget"
"Hush up" was my response.
Already the strangers had grasped
pickaxe and sledge, and were leveling
hard blows at the foot of the cliff.
"That's where it's hid, - decided Hes
ter, with reckless abandon Of the rules
of grammar.
We crept nearer and nearer TO the
workers, but could not quite see what
they were digging. had given little
credence to the absurd newspaper story,
but now half felt that there might be
something in it.
Some, lets go up AROUND by the
corner where we can see" suggeste
Hester, and off We moved to the right