Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-08-24


he WAS hunted aud got away. Edlr uvoWs
his intention ta take Lars in ui. Ya"Gt
and go to secure the treasure. lie invites
desmond to so with him
ChAFTEE Ii.
STRANGE TALE OUT OF THE NORTH,
Desmond looked ut his friend for n
moment without speaking, pulling
great clouds Of smoke as he sought a
clothing of suitable words for his rev.
elation. Then as the marves of il
swelled in his memory he dashed into
1t incontinent, forbearing oratory.
"By gum, Arthur, it is n great game!
The fellows names Lars--Lars PLAID
a. What d'you think of that? Pic
turesque and pretty original in East
London, ell? He comes from Skclligcn.
a village in the district-hanged if l
remember the district, but it's some
where in northwest Finland and on
Me seaboard. Therell be time enough
10 find out the geographical details.
Shortly his story is this:
Hes woodman, or rather was
when he was at home. He was en-
ployed on the estate Of a magnate of
sorts. I've forgotten his name, too,
out it doesn't signify. At any rate. his
employer got into some mess with the
government and doesn't inhabit his an
cestral halls. The government runs
,he concern on contisca ton principles
N the old chaps absence.
This man Pladja spends his time in
the forests. Goes for days together
among the pines and doesn't see a
Il l,nfe, q
only the ghostliest notion of. Thinks
when he was imbecile'-
"Oh, he knows he's been dotty,
them" interrupted Barr. That's
fairly healthy sign at least"
He knows right enough, but he's
as sane as you or i now. Well, he
thinks when he was in that state that
be wandered on board some ship in
Uleaborg, slowed away and got fired
out in the port of London. He has
some sort of misty Renaissance of
being knocked about by a cross eyed
Bcoundrel on board, but can't remem-
Der much. He's got here somehow,
Mats the main point"
THAT certainly seems the main point
mp to now" agreed Barr.
Don't interrupt. Now enters the
villain of the piece. 1t seems he mar
ried his wife in the face of strong op-
position from her people-levunted
With her, in fact. Her brother who
)eems to have been particularly
ltrociOus sort Of scoundrel never for
gave him. The young woman was fair
TO look upon, and this deadly brute had
hoped to make bit by Offering her to
the highest bidder"
There seems sound commercial tact
In that" quoth Barr. but l speak as a
fool on feminine subjects"
you do. Dry up. Our friend queer
ed this pitch entirely, and his poison
Gus snake of Il brother-in-law never
forgave him. Nothing happened for a
time, but the other was on the watch.
Now we insert the blue lights for the
Semimiraculous touch.
zone day Pladja was eating his grub
beside a forest brook-or rather chan
mel for it was a drought summer
when in one of the pools he sees a
metal rod sticking up among the peb-
pies and sand"
Barr stretched out his legs and guf-
'awed. BLESS your heart, Billy, the
Deggars stolen it out of the Arabian
Nights How much for this priceless
lnformationY
Nothing, you ass. Besides, the beg
gar can't read. Shut up and let me fin
Ish. He sees, as | say, a metal rod and
pulls at it,"
Man is naturally prehensile ami
NAL" explained Barr. His instincts
would not permit him to do less
Pulls at it," continued Desmond.
paying no attention to this sarcasm,
land up it comes. He finds it's soft
metal and Of a dull color, but in pull
Ing at it the bends and cracks upon it
showed bright. In point Of fact it's
gold"
What elseT queried Barr softly al
could have sworn it,"
"At this" went on Desmond excited
ly, "he padded into the water and be-
gan to dig and delve for all he was
worth. In minute or two up came a
cup and a little later a necklace. Then,
as luck would have it, a cloudburst
and thunderstorm came on, down came
doluge, and before he knew what
was what the torrent was roaring
away ten feet deep"
The laws of nature are imperious,"
said Barr. Water must find its
level"
well, that didn't put him out at all,
because he knew that he could return
when the storm was over and SCOOP in
the remainder. He buried the cup and
necklace, not wishing to excite suspi-
cion by bursting too much treasure on
the community all at once, but the
scopter-for that's what it undoubted-
ly was, by his description-he cut up
into little bits and took home. He sold
1t lump by lump to n money lender,
and this old fool let the cat out Of the
bag.
80 it came to the brother-in- laws
ears that bis sisters husband had got
something worth selling. He came
down like CARLOAD of brick. He de-
msnded his share. and our friend very
naturally told him to go to the devil.
Then this stupendous villain began his
tricks"
ITS All Bahia and the Forty
Thieves Billy" said Barr stolldly.
"You can't get away from it,"
"Humbuc This was the way of it: