Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1897-05-20
Slowly, painfully, Jos Day worked at

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.
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.
"BIess mel" said he. "If l lived in that
cottage it would save me half of my
journey every day, but 1 won't risk it,"
Shortly after this great surprise
came to him. One morning he found in
his new take" q flock of sheep all
branded M. y.
"Gracious bless us!" exclaimed Jos.
"How ever came the sheep there? I'll
run ask Polly, she may know. She must
ha' seen some one drive 'em this way"
lie 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. A."
"They are mine, JOS"
"Yours, Polly?"
EYES, 1t was very kind and consider
ate Of you, Jos, to inclose so many
acres for me. 1 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. l have been to the
lord of the manor and have bought it
25 acres at so much gold per acre. L
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,
falteringly; This is pretty gol How
am to be paid for the wall:ng?"
I'm sure can't think, JOS"
"But it has engaged me off and on for
IS months. Fifty pounds wouldn't re-
pay my labor. l caa't afford"
81 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 a to D, and by Jumping together
my wall and your land"
"Well, Pm not particular" answered
Mary, and so the matter was settled.
They were married, and Jos found
that he had secured not only a 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 i'll 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 IN
easy. Something stood between himand
Polly. He had secret from her, and
that is ever a barrier to connubial unity.
Christmas was approaching. JOS re-
solved to make 4 clean breast Of it and
tell Mary everything.
Christmas day arrived and Joe put on
his Sunday coat and lowered his yves
kit" took his lever and went forth.
'Polly," said ne, come along. I've a
surprise foryou." Hedeliberately threw
down portion of his new-take wall,
discovered the lid of the stone chest,
lovered it aside, and then jumped into
the box. Next moment he rose out of
it blank with despair, trembling with
disappointment. His treasure was
gene.
BY the side of the cairn and over
thrown wall stood his wife watching
him, with a smile on her cherry lips and
twinkle in her bright eyes. a toddling
child chung to her skirts as she held one
OF the twins in each arm.
"PoN!" 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 hen arms
chuckled and crowed.
mo, Jos Rainy Day." she said, you
have lost nothing, you have gained
much. found your treasure, and l 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 laughing, and he laughed till
the tears ran down his cheeks.
"By girger!" 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 one
particle of right over no more nor
pins head, but is all-all and undivided
my own."-The Graphic.