The Bessemer indicator., 1893-03-11
THE BRAsS-BoUND BOX.


the world. but the old farm that she
inherited was heavily encountered;
and when it comes to gnawing away
all hope and life and love, as well as
property, there is nothing in the
world that will compare with hun
cry, merciless mortgage
Sickness had fallen upon him and
his. Four children had come to them
in rapid succession, but the little low
mounds in the hillside cemetery be-
yond were all that remained to tell of
three of them, save the many unpaid
bills of which they had been the oc-
casion. Yes, Fremont Lincoln had
been unfortunate.
Other troubles came thick and fast
Fremont was not practical farmer,
indeed he knew very little about
agriculture, and SO crop after crop
failed him. Then sickness smote the
strong man himself, and for weeks he
hovered between life and death.
But he did rally at last. Slowly.
very slowly indeed, health and
strength came back to him, and he
began to creep painfully and wearily
about the premises, but the doctor
said that many long months must yet
clapse before he would be able to
work again. In the meantime how
was the little family to live?
The holder Of the mortgage had
avowcd his intention of foreclosing
upon certain date If the money were
not forthcoming, and the payments
upon the heavy life insurance policies
tnl Il
And the unhappy man did not have u
single dollar in the world.
Would to Heaven had died with
the fever rather than have lived to
become II helpless burden that ami
he groaned in anguish. The in
surance money would have saved my
loved ones and paid the fatal
mortgage. Now ! must forfeit the
policies and all that have already
paid upon them. and hope and home
| will both be snatched from me at
one and the same time. Would to
God that the disease had finished Its
deadly work.
"Would to God that we might find
great grandmother Hackett's hidden
treasure, for baby and | could never
live without you'll" responded his al
most dcspairing wife. Her secret
hoard would no doubt pay all our
debts to the very last dollar, and yet
have u little something remaining.
Oh! if we could only find it,"
What is it about great grand
mother Hackett's hidden treasurer
asked her husband with u semblance
of interest that he was very far from
feeling. "Tcll me about it,
'.Why, the old lady used to live
here with my great-uncle Alfred be-
fore they both died, and she was
crazy for great many years" was
the reply. "Shc was always kept
confined in the front room, and her
rawlings were nearly all concerning
buried gold. Nobody ever paid any
attention to her, for everyone consid-
cred her mutterings only the sense
less vagaries of lunatic.
IL remember hearing that my
great-uncle and his men were once
blasting out some large rocks in the
field near the house, and when she
saw what they were about the old
lady hurried to the window in great
excitement.
..She ordered them to leave at once
and let the boulders remain, as she
had great chests of money buried be-
meath them. All day long the men
worked under running fire of en-
treaties, commands and imprecations,
as bE,turns she begged and ordered
them to desist.
mo body ever credited the poor
old lady's tale save myself, but ! can
not help believing that the hidden
treasure really exists after all. Oh!
if we could only find it now"
at is only wasted breath to wish
for the chimerical treasures OF an in
sane person. said Fremont. "Even
if the wealth were real and had only
lain concealed all these years, it
would be only hopeless task to at
tempt to find it now"
"But l have a good reason for
thinking that the hidden wealth Is
not chimera," Mrs. Lincoln went
on
What is it?'
"After uncle died my father moved
here, as you already know" Ella con-
tinued, land of course he brought me
with him, wild, strange holden of
six.
"One day not long afterward was
out in The old West pasture at play
with q little girl of about my own
age named Mabel Wilson. In the
course of the forenoon we came to u
great rock, under which there was
deep, black hole some six or eight
M in 1y ht,,..
rowed out by some small animal
- don't believe but what there
nre snakes in there, said Mabel with
frightened, wondering eyes.
.Pshaw! don't believe word of
it., said /. always bound to be on the
contrary side.
".You don't dare put your hand in
there, anyway said Mabel.
".Yes l do, too defiantly an
swered; and lying down upon tho
ground thrust my arm into the hole
up to the very shoulder.
''And now comes the strangcst part
of the whole story. As true as you
live, Fremont, felt the hard, cold
corner of metallic box far in under
that great bowlder in the old West
pasture.
"What did you do nextP' asked
Fremont, with good deal moro in
terest than he had yet exhibited.
II neither did nor said anything
/ was a very peculiar child, and
somehow or other felt afraid. I did
not know but might have found
coffin or something OF that sort, and
so l called Mabel and hastily left the
place. presume it was more than
half dozen years before I over VEN
tured near that part of the pasture