Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-12-07

past scholastic labors he had express
ed himself willing to take possession
of the dead mans goods and room.
Tant' Sannie hardly liked the arrange
ment. She had great deal more re-
spect for the German dead than the
German living and would rather his
goods had been allowed to descend
peacefully to his son, for she was u
firm believer in the chinks in the world
above, where not only ears but eyes
might be applied to see how things
went on in this world below. She new
er felt sure how far the spirit would
might overlap this world of sense and,
as rule, prudently abstained from
doing anything which might offend un-
seen auditors. For this reason she alb
stained from i'll using the dead Eng
lisltn.dn's daughter and niece, and for
this reason she would rather the boy
had had his fathers goods. But it was
hard to refuse Bonaparte anything
when she and he.sat SO happily togeth-
er in the evening drinking coffee, Be-
naparte telling her In the broken Dutch
he was fast learning now he adored
far women and what splendid farmer
he was.
So at . o'clock on this afternoon Boz
naparte knelt in the Germans room.
Somewhere here it is" he said IS
he packed the old clothes carefully out
of the box and, finding nothing, packed
them in again. Somewhere In this
room 1t is, and il it's here Bonaparte
finds it, he repeated. You didn't
stay here all these years without max
ing little pile somewhere, my lamb.
You weren't such fool as YOU look
ed. Oh. nor said Bonaparte.
IIe now walked about the room. .liv-
ing his fingers in everywhere, sticking
them into the great crevices in the wall
and frightening out the spiders, rap
ping them against the old plaster till it
cracked and fell in pieces. peering IN
the chimney till the SCOT dropped on
his bald head and blackened it. He
felt in little blue bags; lie tried to
raise the hearthstone: he shook Zach
book till the old leaves fell down in
showers on the floor.
1t was getting dark, and Bonaparte
stood with his finger on his nose re-
flecting. Finally he walked to the
door, behind which hung the trousers
and waistcoat the dead man had Inst
worn. He had felt in them, but lrir-
riedly, Just after the funeral the day
before He would examine them again
Sticking his fingers into the waistcoat
pockets. he found in one corner a hole.
Pressing his hand through it, between
the lining and the cloth. he presently
came into contact with something
sEonaparte drew it forth-aS small
square parcel. sewed mp in; sailcloth.
He gaZed at it. squeezed it. 1t crack-
cd, as though full of bank notes. He
put it quickly into his own waistcoat
pocket and peeped over the half door
to see if there was any one. comiug.
There was nothing to be seen but the
last rays of yellow sunset light paint
ing the ..karroo" bushes in the plain
and shining on the ash heap. where the
fowls were pecking. He turned and
sat down on the nearest chair and. talk
ing out his penknife, ripped the parcel
open. The first thing that fell was a
shower of yellow. faded papers. Bona
parte opened them carefully one by
one and smoothed them out on his
knee. There was something very val
liable to be hidden so carefully, though
thu German characters he could not
decipher. When he came to the last
one. he felt there was something hard
in It.
you've got it. Bon. my boy; you've
got It" he cried, slapping his leg hard.
Edging nearer to the door, for the
light was fading. he opened the paper
carefully. There was nothing inside
bur plain gold wedding ring.
Better than nothing" said Bona
parte. trying to put it on his little fin
ger. which. however proved too fat.
He took 1t off and set it down on the
table before him and looked at 1t with
his crosswise eyes.
4Wlien that suspicious hour. San
ME" he said. shall have arrived
when. painting. l shall lead thee. light
ed by Hymen's torch, to the connubial
altar. then upon thy fair amaianthine
finger, my joyous bride, shall this ring
repose.
"Thy fair body, oh, my girl.
Shall i'onaparte possess;
Ills fingers in thy moneybags.
He therein. too. shall mess
Having given utterance to this food
of poesy. he sat lost in joyous refec-
ton.
"He therein, too. shall mess" he re.
peated meditatively.
AT this instant, as Bonaparte swore
and swore truly to the end of his life
slow and distinct rap was given on
the crown of his bald head.
Bonaparte started and looked up. Nc
"rclm" or strap hung down from the
rafters above. and not a human crea-
ture was near the door. 1t was grow.
ing dark. He did not like it. He he.
gan to fold up the papers expeditions
ly. He stretched out his hand for the
ring The ring was gone-gone, nj
though no human creature had entered
1 A.