, 1897-04-12
''1t's a great waste Of money Ho,

Sy law
much do you spend in tobacco?"
How should I know?' replied Petel
in surprise. Il never kept account"
"Try it, remarked Helst dryly.
Just then a couple Of shots made
! Helst Steen bounce in his seat.
"It's only the travellers d~ischargine
their guns said Peter.
81 must &c" replied Helst. "Good
night" And the brothers separated.
Peter Steen found his guests to be
quiet but eccentric Englishmen, who
seemed to take the world easy and paid
literally for all they ordered.
"What in the world can they want
here?" inquired Helst. "Why don't
they go to the city?"
"I'm sure 1 don't know" replied
Peter, land as they pay in honest
money I care not how long they tarry.' u
"They may be robbers" suggested
the timid Helst.
$50 they may" responded Peter,
but they haven't robbed me, and Us
they are not sharp enough for you I
don't see why we should complain"
Fall deepened into winter, and the
strangers still sojourned at the Red
Lion. They went out cunning frequent
ly. and when they remained indoors
they read necessarily the newspapers
that came from England.
81 have it," exclaimed Helst one
evening to his brother. ""They are
refugees from justice, and they read the
newspapers to discover what efforts are
being made to effect their capture"
Peter laughed boisterously.
"All Englishmen spend IL great deal
Of their lives in reading newspapers"
he replied. Its q characteristic Of the
nation. They are great readers, Just as
we Dutch are great smokers"
Il hope you may be correct" re-
sponded Helst, 'but I don't like these
persons hanging about here for no OBJ
ject."
"They may have an object" sug-
gested Peter. "They know best"
"But I'd like to know too"
perhaps you'd better ask them, re-
piled the practical Peter.
my doors are double barred" NUT
tered Helst as he moved away.
During the winter the strangers ate,
drank. were merry. sat up late at night
in their room and paid their bills pune
tually. Peter Steen grew to like them
vastly. Spring came warm and balmy.
and the strangers seemed to welcome it.
One day the elder of the two came to
Peter Steen and said:
Landlord, we fancy your place very
much. 1t is quiet and healthy. Your
table is excellent, but we don't alto
gether like your rooms. Suppose you
allow us to erect an addition to your
house. 1t shall cost you nothing. We
wish an apartment that looks out on
the garden, and here, just by this wall,
which is all tumbling down, by the
way, we'll build you IA snug apartment"
Peter opened his eyes very wide mt
this proposition, and at once consented
Then he hastened to Helst and told him
what had occurred.
at is the strangest thing ] ever
heard" remarked the brother. "Peter,
those men must either be fools or crazy.
I think they are FOOLS"
"And I should be u fool, too, if l re.
fused to have my property improved at
their expense" replied the other.
Helst scratched his head and appeared
perplexed.
"And I really can make nothing of
it, :" he said.
Very soon mechanics began to bring
lumber, and in due time a pretty frame
structure, with two rooms. arose at the
rear of tho inn. One side of it was di-
rectly against the wall Of the garden.
Peter was happy. The Englishmen's
gold flowed into his Golfers, aud all
went we'll.
One night, when the brothers sat to.
gether, Helst said:
"I've been talking to old Adam
Klomp, and he tells me that about 60
years ago an eccentric or crazy English.
man built a large house where the Red
Lion now stands. Nobody liked him, and