The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1897-12-24

that CnAttcrDOAcs tney can . ncip thiklnG,
and she'd blab about 1t to every one In the
place Then I'd have the crown, and the
duchy, and the lord of the manor, and the
parson. and the l43 commoners down on
me demanding their shares Be hanged II
III risk It'll Women is terrible dangerous
animals with their tongues, never to BIO
trusted" Then In went all the treasure
again into the coffin that had contained
and preserved 1t for 1900 years.
al know what I'll do, said Jos I'm
build my 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 be-
hind the rock hard by, where she had
picked up flint chips and flakes
Slowly, painfully, Jos Day worked at
his wall He succeeded in carrying it over
the cairn and thus he secured his treasure
from being disturbed, and thus was it
made fast against the rainy day
In the course Of the next three months
he had completed the Enclosure and had
taken from the common tract of good
land of five and twenty acres in extent.
"Now, then, f" said Jos to himself, my
way Is to be as still as a mouse The
duchy won't know nothing about 1t The
lord of the manor lives far away, and his
agent is sleepy chap II he squalls, then
I'll claim rights under the duchy or as
oommoner, and II the duchy squeaks Ill
claim under he lord of the manor
About this time Mary Aggett's mother
died Jos pitied her greatly, the cottage
was so lonely for the girl His heart grew
soft when he saw her in black BLESS
mel" he said If lived In that cottage
it would save me half my journey every
day But won't risk it. y
Shortly after this great surprise came
on him One morning he found In his
"new take" flock of sheep all branded
I'M A"
"Gracious bless usl' exclaimed Jos
"However came the sheep thereS I'll run
ask Polly She may know. She must
have seen some one drive EN- this way"
He went to the cottage and spoke In
heat: Mary, some owdactous radicals
have been turning sheep into my new take
during the night They are all marked
M A
"They are mine Jos. +"
Yours, Pc!lyf"
Eyes 1t was very kind and consider
ate of you Jos, to inclose SO many acres
for me thank you with all my heart.
Enclose for you'll 1t is my new takei"
There is some Misunderstanding" an
swered the girl THE new take is GER
tainly mine. | have been to the lord Of
the manor and have bought it-25 acres at
so much gold per acre have the papers
all drawn out
Yours Where did you get the money!"
That was question Mary did not an
swer
After much consideration Jos said fall
teringly: This is pretty gol How am
to be paid for the wallingS"
I'm sure can't think, Jos. F."
but it has engaged me off and on for
Is months Fifty pounds wouldn't repay
my labor can't Afford
II really am sorry for you.
by ginger'' exclaimed Jos. There Ia
only one way out Of it that | can see, and
that is by changing the brand on the sheep
from A to d and by Jumping together my
wall and your land T"
well, I'm not particular, answered
Mary and so the matter was settled.
They were married, and Jos found that
he had secured not only very capital bit
of land, but with it a 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 scc-
ond addition to the family consisted In
| twins
But the conscience of Jos was uneasy.
Something stood between him and Polly.
| He had q secret from her, and that is ever
| barrier to connubial unity Christmas
! was approaching Jos resolved to make q
clean breast Of it and tell Mary every
| thing.
Christmas arrived, and Jos put off his
Sunday coat and Powered "weskit, took
his lever and went forth. "Polly," said
he, "come along. I've surprise for you. y
He deliberately threw down portion Of
his new take wall, discovered the lid Of
the stone chest, levered it aside and then
jumped into the box. Next moment he
rose out of it blank with despair, trem
bling with disappointment His treasure
| was gone,
BY the side of the cairn and overthrow
wall stood his wife watching him with Q
smile on her cherry lips and twinkle in
her bright eyes. A toddling child chung
to her skirts and she held one of the twins
| in each arm
"Pollr' he gasped by gum, I'm 9
ruined mani I've lost everything I've
been robbed.
Then she laughed, and when she laughed
the child holding her skirts laughed also
and the babes in her arms chuckled and
| crowed
mo, Jos Rainyday," she said, "yor
have lost nothing, you have gained much