The Van Buren press., 1897-10-30
Che fflissr's Secret.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

old MISER FURGIS was dying. In
large, bare. desolate room he lay,
slaring wildly at the duh walls and
dingy ceiling. No one entered his room
unless requested save his wife, who
elung faithfully to his side. His chill
aren-for whom he had never exhibited
any great show of affection and whom
he seemed to look upon as so much
property to be made the most of-stole
cautiously to the room occasionally 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 80 years. During the time
he had cultivated the fertile acres that
lay about it. He had worked 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
ii 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
tender light in them that told of love.
Lucy" he began, in faint, hollow
voice, Il feel that / can't live much
longer. l am dying, and before go
want to tell you seeret-ask you and
the children to forgive me for the cold,
hard life have caused YOU to live. You
will forgive me-when yOa know all.
Call the children-I-am going fast"
The family gathered hurriedly about
the bed. The missr asked 70 be Mftsd
to q sitting position. and continued-
Children. when yog know tie secret
that | an ahozs % i5zszl1ssse y-1 ulll s-r-
give NJ sseZzc EEzlt1raA-~ -
STOPPED and wr5-tss2 II 1-rsEF 1s szzzls
rrs1E Eal1 s,z'-E h-iis z pm I'm T-s-t-
hing Varlsr-lE- ft HUllt amssE Enllu.F
tze EalsyrE Elhsl W-zf z II rim Al
t,-r hs EuEE=t- -Eu'l lint u ll-l--su
-
Atte< Enu1hsr E1'sE hH --iisi l.I-ll Il 81.
s1ezk- -Do-'1-ss i.s-ssl--l1
HIS features relzze.5- thsrs WGs a
1remOr. and 1hs miser wEs dead
The miser was scarctly benaErh .hs
sod before his children began the search
for his hoanded gold. Now that he Was
gone, and had sought in his last hour
10 make reparation, they thought Of
him kindly. They forgot his asperities
as they thought OF the treasure he had
left them. Now il was all theirs. II
H.. =.
might elude their most careful and per
sisfent search.
So confident were they Of success, and
SO pleasant was the contemplation of
their fortune, that Albert. the youngest.
sat down with pencil and paper TO figure
cut the amount their father had ae-
eumulated during the last 50 years.
His calculation was something like
this; The farm averaged an income OF
at least $500 year for the first five
years. The next five the average would
be 81 900. The next ten 81 500. and 10
his own knowledge the profits the last
ten years had been 5000. Fifty thou
sand dollars would be fair estimate.
~0n7-that was the only elew. The
second story Of the building was care
fully gone over; then the attic. but moth
ing but eobwebs and accumulated dust
and rubbish was found. Then the
grounds were gone over again and
again. each time more slowly and care
fully. special search being made on
every sminence. But il was always with
the same Disappointing results.