The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1897-09-24

winding lane under the trees, ana Ihat
was the last time they ever saw the
house under the grapevines, for the
very next day the agents men came ana
cleared it off and drove stakes where
the surveyors had already marked the
new streets and cut trees for the thor.
oughfare, and shortly after there was
an auction sale of the beautiful lot IN
Spring Hill addition, and common re-
port had it that. the agent SOLD $i21,ooo
worth of slightly lots before the setting
of thessrih.
Zenf had almost lost Griest, ard even
with his $4,000 wondered what be
should do with himself. A man has not
lived all his life when he is only Il years
old. and Zenf had no inclination for go
ing farther away and buying another
farm. One day an inspiration came to
him. He would open saloon.
Griest thought this was an c-2ellent
idea. Ten thousand dollars :. S there
fore paid for a 50-foot lot il tie city,
which was now becoming a metropolis,
and for a similar amount a line brlck
building was constructed.
Zenf's saloon was prosperous from
the start, but it was much less placid
than had been the house under the
grapevines. There were new friends.
and new business associates and many
calls upon the ex-farmer for his time.
He had two barkeepers, and prosperity
seemed to lie raining upon him. lie
went down to the city hall one night
to appear with a committee of citizens
who wanted something done or some
thing undone, and his little speech
made so favorable an impression that
the leaders of the political party with
which he voted called upon him to go
forth and work in the vineyard, talking.
Politics had never before tempted him
because he had been so idly busy ar
guing with Griest about Bismarck, but
somehow he showed a remarkable apti-
tude, and his family saw him less and
.css as he penetrated further and fur-
Their into the Jungle oil craftsmanship.
In the end he was nominated for county
treasurer as a compromise candidate,
and when he went home to tell his fam
ily about the honor which had come to
him his wife, in hysteria, interrupted
him to say that Emsie had 'run away"
with one of the barkeepers. 1t was
bitter blow, for Emsie was the apple
of his eye, and the barkeeper was a
worthless sort of fellow. But times
were too busy for grieving, and politics
called for him. The greatest feeling of
sorrow came to him when he was elect
ed and Emse was not there to be glad
of it.
He had been raised to the farm. He
knew all it's administering and as q
young man he had studied in its severe
school. Of accounts, although Il man
unacceptable education, he WAS ignorant
Or, at most, he WAS not an expert. So
he yielded to the suggestion Of the ora
tor who had presented his name and
chose that mans son as his deputy. 1t
pleased him to go down to the office
in the county building and to look about
him and think that he, Otto Zenf, farm
err, was the highest-salaried man on
the pay roll.
AutOil, uOWcVcI, IOOh ~ III liAillS
Griest came to him one day and told
him that Anton had forged his name
to check for 1000, and it would take
that much to balance up the Criest ac-
count. Zenf paid it and whipped the
boy, who broke from home that night.
Zenf was such a good fellow. All
those who had helped him in the cleo
ton told him so and asked him to lend
them money. He lent his $4,000 in
pieces to various people, and when he
told the other good friends that he had
no more they suggested that he might
lend the county funds and not only ac
commodate them, but earn interest.
He thought it was in some way wrong,
but they said assuredly no, that all
treasurers had done so. Persuaded
then, he yielded, and piled his drawer
with papers of promise. But he made
enemies as we'll as friends, as every pub
lie officer must, and when the next cleo
ton came around he was defeated in
his aspiration for reelection. The night
after the luckless election his deputy
disappeared. There was paralysis in
the office until in the passage of time
Zenf's successor took charge. Then it
was found that in the drawers were
many papers, but very little money.
The jury declared some months after
ward that the dazed Zenf had embez-
zled 100000. He could not understand
it, for he had squandered nothing and
had lost his own funds. Nevertheless
they sentenced him to Is years impris-
onment, and some of the people wanted
to lynch him.
zenf sews shoes all day Sometimes
he thinks of grapevine-covercd house
and the great apple trees under which
he used to talk with Griest about Bis
marck and he wishes he could get out
to just see them once again. But it is
very foolish in him. Even if he were to
be released tomorrow his wish could not
be gratified. A big stone schoolhouse
spreads far out over the place where
the first baby was buried and streets
paved with vitrified brick run down
where the orchard was, and children
ride their bicycles where the Unison
grew on Montmorency boulevard.-Chi-
cago Record.