The state herald. (Holyoke, Logan County, Colo.) 1887-1921, 1893-03-10
THE BRASS-BOUND BOX.


Lincoln from the time he married
Ella Hackctt and set up housekeeping
in the old Hackett homestead. She
was an orphan without relative in
the world, but the old farm that she
inherited was heavily encountered;
and when 1t comes to gnawing away
all hope and life and love, as we'll us
property, there is nothing in tho
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 Il practical farmer,
indeed he knew very little about
agriculture, and so crop after crop
failed him. Then sickness smotc the
strong man himself, and for weeks he
lowered 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 YEARLY
about the premises, but the doctor
said that many long months must yet
| elapse 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 forcclosing
upon certain date il the money were
not forthcoming, and the payments
upon the heavy life insurance policies
Fremont carried were almost due.
And the unhappy man did not have II
single dollar in the world.
Would to Heaven had died with
the fever rather than have lived to
become 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." responded his al
most despairing wife. '.lIer secret
hoard would no doubt pay all our
debts to the very last dollar. and yet
have n little something remaining.
Oh! II we could only find it,
What is IL about great grand
mother llacketts hidden treasurer
asked her husband with semblancc
OF interest that he was very FAR from
feeling. '''rcll 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 We're nearly all concerning
buried gold. Nobody ever paid any
attention to her, for everyone ron-id.
cred her muttcrinps only the sense.
less vagarics Of II lunatic.
81 remember hearing that my
grcat-unclc 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 90 tho window In great
excitement.
"shc ordered them to leave al once
and let tho bouldcrs remain, rs she
had great chests OF money buried be.
meath them. All day long the men
worked under u running fire of en-.
treaties, commands and imprecutions,
as by turns she begged and ordered
them to dcsist,
mo body ever credited tho poor
old lndy's tale save myself, but l can
not help believing that tho hidden
treasure really exists after all. Oh
II we could only find II now,
1T Is only wasted breath 10 wish
for the chimcrlcal treasures OF an In.
sane person." said Fremont. "Evcn
II the wealth were real and had only
lain concealed all these years. Il
would be only u hopeless task TO at.
tempt to find II now
"Bnt have good reason for
thinking that the hidden wealth IL
not ehimora," Mrs. Lincoln went
on
What Is it9'
after uncle died my father moved
here, Ms you already know" Ella con.
tinucd. and Of course no brought me
with him, wild, strange holden oil
six.
Zone dry not long ai,orward | was
out In the old West pasture u, play
with n little girl OF about my own
age named Mabel Wilson. In the
course OF the forenoon we cnmc TO n
great rock. under which there was
deep. black hole some six or eight
inches In diameter. apparently bur.
rowcd out by some small animal.
81 don't believe but what there
are snakes In there, said Mabel with
frightened. wondering eyes.
| "'Pshnw' | don't believe n word OF
IT, said !. always bound to be ON the
contrary side.
"'You don't dare put your hand In
there. anyway said Mabel
"'fcs ! do, too, ! dchantly mn.
swcrcd; and lying down upon the
ground thrust my arm into tho hole
up 10 the very shoulder.
"And now comes the strongest part
| ~ the whole story. Az true ps you