The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1892-03-18


the porch, saw red glare In the SKY
above the privet hedge.
ITS bonfire said Charley.
ITS Miss Sarcpta smiths house!''
shris.scd Hess Help! Help! Fire.
Water! Oh. why don't somebody
GOMEZ
Call your father and the boys.''
said Charley. fiinging of his coat. III
jump the fence and take the short cut.
She's all alone in the house. poor
thing."
AZ Salt Inlet they had neither steam
firc-cngincs nor patent cxtinguishers
I;y the time the volunteer company lad
dragged the ricxety old engine and
hosc-cart out OF their shed. and hoistcd
them up the. hill. the ancient house
where Sarcpta Smith had been born
was In ruins; and the old woman her.
SELF carried in big chair over TO the
Warden house. was lamcnting herself
that she. too, had not gone also.
Seems like couldn't live nowhere
else" said she. And I'm an old WON
ana very old woman"
Bcss Warden gave u p her own 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 Clevc brought in the
old gray goose. stifly mounted on an
imitation Of messy ground. Her dim
eyes lighted up.
II am glad you saved that, Charles, :"
said she.
y found II among heap Of Other
things said Charley. "And l thought
you'd like to have it. See. hero are
your spcctacles too, and the old Bible.
with the leaves all right. and the cover
only little charrcd.'
Miss Sarcpta looked fccbly from one
relic TO another.
I'm glad" said she, Every glad. II
was thoughtful Of you, Charles I'm
sorry called you them names take
'cm all back. I"
"Oh. never mind the names" said
Charley. AT all events, you can't lay
this fire to mer'
No." said Sarepta, lit was the mice
playin' on the closet shelf where l kept
the matches. Id laid up to set trap.
but forgot. And should ha' been
burned in my bed II II hadn't been for
you. Charles allays dreaded death
by fire"
Old Miss Sarcpta lay very quietly for
q day or two. with the gray goose fold
ing its wings at her bed head. and the
Bible and spectacles on 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 don't
bear no malice on account Of his shoot
in il. And the specks and the Bible
Bess must keep An old Bible brings
every one luck"
She died before daybreak. II there
was any willard Miss Sarepta was
always believed TO be well-to-do,
busincss-like woman-it was destroyed
in the fanes The old placc-three-
and-forty acres-wcnt to cousin
nearer OF kin than Charley Clevc.
my unluclsy planet again." said
Charley. with grimace. We'll, never
mind, Bcss; it's only waiting little
| longer. We've got a Bible and pair
| OF spcctaclcs. after all"
And a stuffed gray goose" saie
| Bcss
"Oh. hang the goosc.' said Charley,
sits neither useful nor ornamental
| Let's shy it ont into the orchards" and
lie seized il by one leg.
| 'Oh. stop. Charley cried thrifty
Bess. Lets save the feathers for
| pillow"
| They're full Of arsenic and such
| stuff
"All the better for keeping out
| MOTHS retortcd BcsS iii pack
| them into a bag. and Oh! Charley,
| what is this?"
| A piece OF the old gray goosc's cpl
dermis had come of with the first
handful Of feathers. Underneath Il
was something like dnll-grecn papeI
| packed in layers
-IIcllo~ said Charley. "Vhy-
| they're bills. They're money! Look
| here! Am drcaming?"
| II was true. The old grey goose was
| stuffed full Of new. crisp greenbacks
| Sarcpta Smiths ecccntricities had moi
| ceased with her death. There had
been method in her words when she
gave Charley Clevc this memorial o.
his own blunder, as q peace offering.
| Five hundred dollars" said he. ~
| say, Bcss, isn't It almost enough TO gel
| married upon? Well do il very quiet
| ", you know"
"Don't talk nonsense, Charley"
| but look in the old Bible. BesA
| Who knows what may be hidden
| there?'
| Nothing was hidden there. Appar
emily Miss Sarcpta had confined her
savings bank idea 70 the old gray
| goose
Charley Clcve considered deeply.
| Five hundred dollars won't 90 very
far in the city, 4" said he; land in the Trust
| company. where I'm clerlxing II. fel-
low may grub away for twenty years
without any chance Of promotion. III
cut city life, Bcss. II you say SO. and
invest this money in the first payment
on little fruit farm out here at salt
Inlet
hess face lighted up
.Closc to my old home" she cried
.Oh, Charley. do say So"
And ten years after their wedding
day. when the great railway vein haf
throbbcd through their land. and thu
| t1&<x I'll