Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-02-13
DUIMBY'S BONANZA.
by EDGAR MAYHEM BACON.
Author of "Tho Fugitives of Tczco," Etc.
copyright, 1896, by Bachelor. Johnson ard
Bacheller.l
PART l.


Copyright, 1896 by Bachelor. johnson ard
Bacheller.1
PART |.
A more preposscssing hero than the
purchaser of Flaclt's Neck might easily
be found. He was forty, rather stout,
little bald, and not a little frccltled.
AS he stood upon the one knoll that
he Neck boosted, under the solitary
rec that had battled for its life with
long succession of Atlantic storms,
nd surveyed his ten acres with the eye
nd mien of SellSirls, n casual observe
r would not have suspected Nathan
Ell Quimby of building air castles.
The Neck unquestonably presented
hyperion claims as site for structures
I that sort, because the one thing that
could exhibit in abundance was the
equisite building material. Air! The
whole meteorological wealth of the
|cean overfowed into that circum'
cribed area of wave-washed beach and
and dunes.
Qumby wondered whether his little
crritory included ten acres at high
br at low tide He had been bred in
II inland town, and the first thing that
stonished him with his purchase was
he instability of its boundary line. Tho
Gde was ebbing, and as he saw rod
rter rod of wet sand uncovered by tho
eceding water, it was finally i'm
Dressed upon him that whereas he had
nly paid for ten acres, yet twice III
he day he was the possessor of forty.
)uimby had never before owned Il foot
IF ground, wet or dry, rock, clay or
and. Solitary dollars had made short
isits of coincidence to his flaccid pock'
It's, but never to stay, till one day by
rare stroke of good fortune two hun-
tred Of Uncle Sans promises to pay
had tumDlcd into his hands.
At that the suppressed longing OF
his lifetime found expression. He
FASTENED by the most direct route to
he wonderful promised land of all his
tnrealized dreams-the sea. Arriving
1t that Mecca, he satisfied his souls
(raving for breath and light and tho
ang of salt air, till the tavern keeper
It Taggert's Station, who had guided
him over the beach, discovered in him
In easy prey, and sold him the Neck
or eighty dollars, which was about
orty dollars more than it was worth.
thus Quimby became the proprietor oil
n estate that was mostly atmosphere
md blue cloud shadows.
AS he stood under the already men
toned crooked tree, with his legs wide
apart and his hands clasped behind
him, his lungs inflated with oxygen
md his heart with pride, he was al
ready drawing big interest on his in
Festmcnt.
al feel kind of as il had been lost for
orty years and just found my way
home," pondered Nathaniel.
At this crisis in mis- history, for so il
was, he turned to enjoy a wider view Of
his domain, and discovered the pres
bnce of an intruder down by the beach
The newcomer was lank, but with a
uggestion of great strength in his eX'
raordinary fame. lie stopped slight
and shambled in his gait, so that the
prawlifig shadow that twitched at his
ieels danced grotesquely over the
lands. Smooth shaver, blue eyed
With garments that seemed n unique
collection of patches, the stranger
inally halted within conversations
distance of the fascinated prospector.
$50 long, cap'n. Ihear up to the vii
age that you bought the Neck, n CONT
over thinkin' p'rhaps you might wan
20 hire n man."
"Captain!" Nathaniels stature in
creased and he held himself with added
dignity. "Want mani" lie became
suddenly aware of another unrealize'
wish of lifetime. He, who had nevei
bnce in all his days said to a servan
come" or go" who had himsel
Pbediently hardened 10 the word o
command, did he want man? He wa!
DO elated that for a moment he forgo
10 reply and the applicant stood befor,
him without a shadow of impatence O.
anxiety and waited his pleasure.
"Why-good morning. What di'
you say-a man? Why the fact is
what Is your name?"
"AIoses. Moses Larkin. l beel
follerin' gardenin' an wood sawin
nos'ly sence / left the sea. But CT
urn my hand to anything"
"Then you have been Il sailor ?" aske'
DUMMY.
Sure. Follcred tn sea twent
vears, man an boy, till got wrecked
NNhere'd l get wrecked? why, RICH
lere onto the Neck-I was part owne
n the Phoebe, an we didn't have II
Bumped there on tn pint al
natchully fell to pieces, reason
ner bein' thirty-four years oil
pm not sound plank er ma
nto her S you might say, hadn't II
,h'ice but to stay ashore fer a spell
After a moment he added: "Shouldn
wonder If Their was some o. her punk
pie timber stickin' in the sand dow
here yet"
Yes, there were. DUMMY had see
few worm-eaten sticks that locke
Ike the partly decayed skeleton {
Ecme huge animal imbeddcd in the san
Of the point. But the immediate matte
pr consideration was not the wrecl
put the applicant for job. Nathani,
inew that the little hoard of none
With which he had already made sue
ieavy inroads would not last long, eve
with strict economy, and that befor
ong he must himself be seeking wor
again; that his dream of dwelling q
he Neck was n long way from it's fu
illment. Evidently his display of read
cash had given the impression that }
was a capitalist. lie hated to disp