Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-11-13

tually. Peter Steen grew to like them
vastly. Spring came warm and balmy,
and the strangers seemed to welcome It,
One day the elder of the two came to
Peter Steen and said:
Landlord, we fancy your place very
much. 1t is quiet and healthy. Your
table is excellent, but we don't alto
gether like your rooms. Suppose you
allow us to erect an addition to your
house. It shall cost you nothing. We
wish an apartment that looks out Oh
the garden, and here, just by this wall,
which is all tumbling down, by the
way, we'll build you snug apartment. -
Peter opened his eyes very wide at
this proposition, and at once consented.
Then he fastened to Helst and told him
what had occurred.
at is the strangest thing ] ever
heard" remarked the brother. "Peter,
those men must either be fools or crazy.
I think they are FOOLS"
"And I should be a fool, too, if l re-
fused to have my property improved at
their expense" replied the other.
Helst scratched his head and appeared
perplexed.
''And I really can make nothing of
it," he said.
Very soon mechanics began to bring
lumber, and in due time pretty frame
structure, with two rooms, arose at the
rear of the inn. One side of it was di-
rectly against the wall Of the garden.
Peter was happy. The Englishmen's
gold flowed into his Golfers, and all
went well.
One night, when the brothers sat to-
gether, Helst said:
GIVE been talking to old Adam
Klomp, and he tells me that about 60
years ago an eccentric or crazy English
man built large house where the Red
Lion now stands. Nobody liked him, and
few knew anything about his history.
He got into some trouble with the king
officers and left the place suddenly.
Soon afterward the house was burned
down. never could comprehend these
English. They are the queerest people
in the world"
''They pay WE'LL" laughed Peter,
slapping his pocket. "They pay well,
Helst."
July came, and the weather was de-
lightful, but for some singular freak
the Englishmen staid great deal i'll
their rooms. Once Peter came upon
them suddenly and caught them in
tently examining map or diagram
which they had spread on the table.
"Ah, hal" he muttered. "They are
surveyors. Doubtless they came to pur.
chase land. How foolish my brother
Helst was with his suspicious"
But what bothered Peter the mos
was that the strangers were up burning
his candles late into the night. Every
body else was in bed. What were they
doing up like owls?
| All at once the strangers began te
take drives They wouldn't go out to
gether, but would take turns, one al
ways remaining at home. These things
continued for several weeks.
When this was told Helst, he had {
new source Of perplexity.
"They certainly are foolsl" he ex
claimed. "Who but fools would sit vi
late summer nights, doing nothing, ant
go driving about the country without {
companion? Peter, these men may have
wealth, but they certainly have nj
brains. !"
At length there came variation t.
the monotony. Both the strangers wen
out to drive together one morning
Night came, but they did not return
Peter smoked his pipe and meditated a
their absence, and Helst scratched hi
head for a thought
Two, three, four days went by, bu
the strangers returned not, and no on
about the country could give any in
formation concerning them.
Finally, when week had elapsed, i
was determined to break open the doc
of their room. With all forms Of Law
\ this was accomplished. And, 10, besid
the garden wall was great hole in tn
earth! On the table lay letter ad
dressed to Peter Steen, from the stran
gers, informing him that years befor
one of their number had lived on tn
spot and buried large sum Of gold il
an old chest by this garden wall. I'm
mediately after he was obliged to file
the country. They found some paper
in England which accurately describe
the spot where the treasure was con
cealed, and they had come and built tn
addition to the house over the spot, an
thus possessed themselves Of what reall
belonged to them.
"In consideration Of your kindness,
they wrote, 1--WE leave you the hole
hoping you may long live to smoke you
pipe in peace. 2
Helst looked at the hole, and then \
Peter, as he remarked:
''They were not fools, after all f"
Peter took a long breath and smiled
He could not laugh just then, for a sol
of consciousness that he had been out
witted made him unusually quiet H
walked into his inn, and, sitting dow
in a chair, said:
"And I've been living on gold min
! all the time and didn't know itr'-E1
change.