The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1892-03-19

On the night before Mr.. Cleye's time
was up. the lovers, talking to each
other late in the autumnal starlight on
the porch, saw a red glare in the sky
above the privet hedge.
'It's a bonfire" said Charley.
.It's Miss Sarepta Smiths housed"
shrieked Bess. 'cHelp! Help! Firel
Waterl Oh. why don't somebody
come!" ,
Call your father and the boys!"
said Charley, fiinging off his coat. 'T'l
jump the fence and take the short cut.
She's all alone in the house, poor
thing" !,
At Salt Inlet they had neithe. tesm
fre-engines nor patent e~xtinguishers-
BY the time the volunteer company lad
dragged the rickety old engine and
hose-cart out of their shed, and hoisted
them up the hill, the ancient house
where Sarepta Smith had been born
was in ruins; and the old woman her
self, carried in a big chair over to the
Warden house, was lamenting herself
that she, toe, led not gone also.
Seems like 1 couldn't live nowhere
else" said she And I'm an old wom-
ana very old woman"
Bess Warden gave p her w room
to Miss Sarepta Every one did what
he could to make her comfortable, but
the only sign she evinced of pleasure
was when Charley Cleve brought in the
old gray goose, stifiy mounted on an
imitation of messy ground. Her dim
eyes lighted up.
II am glad you saved that, Charles"
said she.
81 found it among a heap of other
things" said Charley. And thought
you'd like to AVE it See. here are
your spectacles too, and the old Bible,
with the leaves all right, and the cover
only a little charred!'
Miss Sarepta looked feebly from one
relic to another.
I'm glad" said she, VERY glad. 1t
was thoughtful of you, Charles. I'm
sorry l called you them names take
'em all back"
.'Ohi never mind the Names" said
Charley. "At all events, you can't lay
this fire to me-"
NO" said Sarepta, at was the mice
playin' on the closet shelf where l kept
the matches. I'd laid up to set a trap,
but l forgot. And l should ha' been
burned in my bed if it hadn't been for
you, Charles. I allays dreaded a death
by fire."
Old Miss Sarepta lay very quietly for
a day or two, with the gray goose fold-
ing its wings at her bed head, and the
Bible and spectacles on a stand beside
her pillow.
Charles shall have the gray goose"
said she, one evening. It'll help fur
nish his house. And it'll show l don't
bear no malice on account of his shoot
in it. And the specks and the Bible
Bess must keep. An old Bible brings
every one luck!"
She died before daybreak. If there
was any willard Miss Sarepta was
always believed 10 be a w%ell-to-do,
business-like woman-it was destroyed
in the flames The old place-three-
and-forty acres-went to a cousin
nearer of kin than Charley Cleve.
My unlucky planet again." said
Charley, with a grimace. We'll, never
mind, Bess; it's only waiting a little
longer. We've got a Bible and a pair
of spectacles, after ALL"
And a stuffed gray goose" said
Bess.
.'Oh! hang the goose!" said Charley.
Its neither useful nor ornamental.
Let's shy it out into the orchards" and
he seized it by n leg.
oh! stop, Charl"y!' cried thrifty
Bess. Lets save the feathers for q
pillow"
They're full of arsenic and such
stuff"
"All the better for keeping OH
moths" retorted Bess. I'll pack
them into a bag, and Oh! Charley,
what is this?"
A piece of the old gray goose's cpl
dermis had come Off with the first
handful of feathers. Underneath it
was something like dull-green paper
packed in layers
"Hello..' said Charley. why
they're bills! They're money! Look
herel Am l dreaming?'
1t was true. The old gray goose wal
stuffed full of new, crisp greenbacks.
Sarepta Smiths ecceutricities had not
ceased with her death. There had
been method in her words when she
gave Charley Cleve this memorial OF
his own blunder, as a peace offering.
Five hundred doliars!" said he. 81
say, Bess, isn't it almost enou gh to get
upon? Well do it very quiet.
ly, You know"
Don't talk nonsense. Charley"
But look in the old Bible, Bess.
Who knows what may be hidden
there?"
Nothing was hidden there. Appar-
emily Miss Sarepta had confined her
savings bank idea to the old gray
goose.
Charley Cleve considered deeply.
Five hundred dollars won't go very
far in the city, said he; land in the Trust
where I'm clerking it. 4 fell
low may grub away for twenty years
any chance of promotion. I'll
cut city life. Bess, if you say so. and
this money in the first payment
a little fruit farm out mere at Salt
Bess' face lighted up.
Close to my old home!" she cried.
''Oh, Charley, l do say So"
And ten years after their wedding
day, when the great railway vein had
throbbed through their land. and the
little fruit farm" was cut up into vii
lage lots, the thriving young farmer
,.I.ol ~ he ,r;fa with n cni1a |