Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-11-11
the uliSeT'S Secret.

,ueiling. No one entered his room I'M
Yess requested, save his wife. who
chung faithfully to his side. HIS chill
vlren-for whom he had never exnlp-
sted any great show OF affection, ana
whom he seemed to look upon as SO
much property to be made the most OF
stole cautiously to the room occa-
sionally and peered in.
Miser Furgis. as he was known
throughout the country, had lived In
the old rambling house, in which he
was dying, for thirty years. During
the time he had cultivated the fertile
acres that lay about 1t. He had work
ed like a slave and forced his children
to work. lived like the poorest laborer,
that he might hoard his hard-earned
gold. Now he was dying. and he alone
knew where 1t was buried.
One morning. after having lain un-
conscious for days, he opened his eyes
and turned them searchingly about
the room until they rested on his wife.
As they fingered finally on her there
was a tender light in them that told OF
love.
Lucy" he began in faint. hollow
voice, II feel that l can't live much
longer. l am dying, and before l go
i want to tell you secret-ask you
YOU and the children to forgive me
for the cold, hard life l have caused
you to live. You will forgive me
when you know all. Call the children
lam going fast"
The family gathered hurriedly about
the bed. The miser asked to be lifted
to sitting position, and continued;
children, when you know the Sc
cret that l am about to disclose you
will forgive my seeming unnatural
he stopped and writhed in agony as
some great pain took hold of him.
Trembling violently, he sank back
among the pillows. Then with a
mighty effort he gasped: You'll find
1t all-on-on-"
After another spell he tried again to
speak.
"Don't-sell-the-
His features relaxed; there was a
fremor, and the miser was dead.
The miser was scarcely beneath the
sod before his children began the
search for his boarded gold. Now that
he was gone, and had sought in his
last hour to make reparation, they
thought of him kindly. They forgot
his asperities as they thought Of the
treasure he had left them. Now II
was all theirs. 1t never occurred tC
them that the prize might elude theil
So confident were they of success
and so pleasant was the contemplation
OF their fortune, that Albert, thu
youngest, sat down with pencil ant
paper to figure out the amount thei
father had accumulated in the las
thirty years.
His calculation was something lik'
this: The farm averaged an incom
of at least $4,000 year for the las
FIVE years. The next five the averag
would be $1,000. The next ten 81 SOC
and to his own knowledge the profit
the last ten years had been $4,000
Fifty thousand dollars would be
fair estimate.
"O"-that was the only clew. TIL
fully gone over; then the attics, bu
nothing but cobwebs and accumulate
dust and rubbish was found. Then tn
the grounds were gone over AGAR
each time more slowly and carefully
special search being made on ever
eminence But ii was always with tn
same disappointing results.
Years passed, and the miser's gol
lay secure in it's hiding place. The
who sought it continued hopeful, an
with the exception of short interval
of rest, they had kept diligently {
work.
The farm during this time had bee
left to take care of itself and produt
whatever crop 1t saw fit; consequent
the fertile acres were covered with
dense growth of weeds and briar
The stock had been sold off, few
n time, until only a small number
broken-spirited horses remained wit
which to cultivate the patches nece
sity forced them to till.
AS the years continued to slip ava
Mrs. Furgis died. Soon Albert fo
lowed her, and the two remaining chi
dren were left alone in the large, d
caying house. Harold and his sist
continued to work the patches abo
the house, and year after year NOR
gage a few acres of land for money
pay taxes, not daring to sell or rel
for fear their treasure would fall
other hands than their own. Throu
the long years OF foolish and profile
search 1t never occurred to them, or,
Il did, was not acted on, that in t
farm they had fruitful and unfaili
source of revenue.
One day early in June as Hare
sat on the moss-grown stoop, gazi
dreamily out on the luxuriant a
tangled underground, peddler cro
ed the stile and labored slowly benea
pack along the paved walk.
would you like to purchase
vining rod?" he asked. placing
pack on the ground. He held out
polished metal rod that flashed brig
ly in the sun.
what is It for?" asked Haro
taking the rod In his hand and exa
fning 1t closely.
"To find minerals; hidden treasur
gold and silver"
How is it used ?" he asked, striv'
TO retain his curiosity,
The peddler carefully explained
xnanner of operating IT, and again 9