The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1893-03-25
THE BRASS-BOUND BOX.

Ella Hackett and set up Housekeeping
in the old Hackett homestead. Sh
was an orphan without relative Il
the world. but the old farm that sh'
inherited was heavily encountered
and when II comes to gnawing AVA.
all hope and life and love, as well a
property, there Is nothing In thu
world that will compare with hun
CRY, merciless mortgage.
Sickness had fallen upon him ant
his. Four children had come to then
in rapid succession, but the little low
mounds in the hillside cemetery be
You'd were all that remained to tell OF
three ofrhem, save the many unpaid
bills Of which they had been the &C.
casiOn Yes, Fremont Lincoln had
been unfortunate.
Other troubles came thick and fast.
Fremont was not a 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
lowered between life and death.
But hc did rally at last. Slowly.
very slowly indeed. health and
strength came back to him, and he
began to creep painfully and YEARLY
about the premises, but the doctor
said that many long months must yet
clapsc before he would be able to
work again. In the meantime how
was the little family to live?
Ia. h,l nf hn a, ha1
avowed his intention OF foreclosing
upon a certain date if the money were
not forthcoming, and the payments
npon the heavy fife insurance policies
Fremont carried were almost due.
And the unhappy man did not have u
single dollar in the world.
'WoulG 10 Heaven l had died with
the fever rather than have lived to
become q helpless burden that | am"
he groamed in anguish. 1.-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 bc snatchcd from me at
one and the same time. Would to
God that the disease had finished its
deadly work.
! "Wo2li e God that we might find
great grandmother IIackctt's hidden
treasure, for bahy and could never
live without you." responded his al
most despairing wife. '.iIer secret
hoard would no doubt pay all our
debts to the very last dollar, and yet
have little something remaining.
Oh! if We could only find it.''
what i. it about great grand
mother Hackctt's hidden treasurer
asked her husband with semblance
Of interest that he was very far from
feeling. tell me about it,.
"Why, the old lady used to live
here with my grcat-uncle Alfred be-
fore they both died, and she was
crazy for great many years" was
the reply, she 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 muttcrings only the sense
less vagaries Of a 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. ~
ha ~
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,
IS by turns she begged and ordered
them to desist.
"No 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
81 we conld only find il now"
lit Is only wasted breath to wish
for the chimerical treasures OF an in.
sane person. said Fremont. Even
II the wealth were real and had only
lain concealed all these years, II
would oe only a hopeless task to at
tempt to find it now
"But / have good reason fol
thinking that the hidden wealth II
not chimera," Mrs. lincoln wen
on"
What is itp"
"After uncle died my father moved
here, as you already know" Ella con
tinucd, land OF course he brought m,
With him, wild. strange holden O
six.
Zone day not long afterward wa
out In the old. West pasture at pla
with little girl of about my owl
age named Mabel Wilson. In IL.
course OF the forenoon we came to
great rock. under which there was
deep, black hole some six or eigb
inches In diameter, apparently bul
rowed out by some small animal.
81 don't believe but what Their
are snakes in thcre.' said Mabel wit
frightened. wondering eyes.
..Pshaw! don't believe word