The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1897-07-02

and the duchy, and the lord o the
manor, and the parson and the 1i5
commoners down on me for demanding
their shares. BE hanged if I'll risk it.
Women is terrible dangerous ANIMALS
with their tongues, never to be trusted
Then in went all the treasure again
into the coffin that had contained and
preserved it for 1000 years.
Il know what I'll do" said JOS. iii
build nv new-take wall right over this
old grave, and then no one can get at
the treasure without pulling down the
wall"
Little did Jos suspect that he was
being watched, and that his every word
was overheard by Polly herself, who
was behind the rock hard by. where she
had picked up flint chips and tiakcs.
Slowly, painfully, Jos Day worked al
his wall He succeeded in carrying II
over the cairn, and thus he secured ms
treasure, from being disturbed, and thus
was it made fast against the rainy
day.
In the course of the next three months
he lad completed the inclosure, and
had taken from the common tract OF
good land of five-and-twenty acres IL
extent.
About this time Mary Aggett's mother
died. Jos pitied her greatly, the cottage
was 50 lonely for the girl. HIS heart
grew soft when he saw her III black.
BLESS met" said he. "H | lived in that
cottage it would save me half OF my
Journey every day, but / won't risk 1t.
Shortly after this a great surprise
came to him. One morning he found IN
his new take a flock of sheep ali
branded NJ. \.
Gracious bless US" exclaimed Jos.
How ever came the sheep there? II!
run ask Polly, she may know. She must
ha' seen some one drive 'em this way"
He went to the cottage and spoke in
heat: Mary, some Owdacious radicals
have been turning sheep into my new
take during the night. They are
marked NJ. \"
They are mine, JOS"
Yours, Polly"
Yes. 1t was very kind and consider
ate of YOU, Jos. to inclose 50 many
acres for me. / thank you with all my
heart"
"Inclose for you! 1t is my new
take"
There is some misunderstanding,
answered the girl. The new take Is
certainly mine. | have been 10 the
lord of the manor and have bought it
% acres at so much gold per acre
have the papers all drawn out"
Yours! Where did you get the
money"
That was a question Mary did not an
swer.
After much consideration Jos said,
falteringly: This is a pretty goi How
am | To be paid for the walling?"
I'm sure l can't think, JOS"
But it has engaged me OFF and on for
Is months. Fifty pounds wouldn't re-
pay my labor. | can't afford"
Il really am sorry for you"
There is only one way out of it" ex-
claimed Jos, that | can see; and that
Is by changing the brand on the sheep
from \ to ID. and by Jumping together
my wall and your land
We'll, I'm not particular" answered
Mary, and 50 the matter was settled
They were married, and Jos found
that he had securei not only very cap
ital bit of land, but with it a very
thrifty, witty and wise wife
At the close of the first tWelvemonth
there were three in the house in the
place of two. At the end of the second
year the number had mounted to five,
for the second addition to the family
consisted in twins.
But the conscience of JOS was un-
easy. Something stood between him and
Polly. He had a secret from her, and
that is ever a barrier to connubial unity.
Christmas was approaching. JOS re-
solved To make a clean breast of II and
tell Mary everything.
Christmas day arrived and Joe put on
his Sunday coat and fiowered his yves
kit" took his lever and went forth.
Polly" said he, come along. I've a
surprise YOU" Hedeliberately threw
down a portion of his ncw-take wall,
discovered the lid of the stone chest,
lovered it aside, and then jumped into
the box. Next moment he rose out of
1T blank with despair, trembling with
disappointment. His treasure was
gone.
BY the side of the cairn and over
thrown wall stood his wife watching
him, with smile on her cherry lips and
a twinkle in her bright eyes. a toddling
child clung to her skirts as she held one
OF the twins in each arm.
'Poll!" he gasped, I'm a ruined man.
I've lost everything. I've been robbed" !"
Then she laughed and when she
laughed the child holding her skirt
laughed also and the babes in her arms
chuckled and crowed.
NO, JOS Rainy Day" she said, "you
have lost nothing, you have gained
much. l found your treasure, and dis
posed of it to the antiquarian gentle
man who buys the arrow heads. With
the money bought the land, the sheep,
the cows-and you"
Then Jos scrambled out of the grave
and fell a laughing, and he laughed till
the tears ran down his checks.
by ginger," said he; "'woman's wit
outweighs mans wisdom. My true
treasure-trove is here'-he clapped his
wife on the shoulder-"and it's one
neither crown, nor duchy, nor lord of
the manor. nor parson nor the hundred
and forty-three commoners have on
particle of right over no more nor a
pins head, but is all-all and undivided
my own."-The Graphic.