Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1899-03-16

pack on the ground. He held out a
polished metal rod that flashed bright
ly in the sun.
What is it for?'' asked Harold.
taking the roo in his hand and exam
lining it closely.
TO find minerals; hidden treasure
gold and silver"
How is 1t used?' he asked, striving
to retain his curiosity.
The peddler carefully explained the
manner of operating it, and again EN-
phasized its occult power of divination.
Have you sold many?" asked Har-
old.
Not near here" returned the trad
er; have just reached this section
Name your lowest figure for the en-
tire lot" said Harold impatiently,
and promise not to sell any more in
this county, and I'll buy them"
A bargain was struck. The peddler
walked off, laughing in his sleeve over
the fine sale, and Harold hurried with
his purchase to his sister. Their flag
glng hopes and energies became again
buoyant.
At all hours they could be seen, rods
in hand, walking with careful step and
bowed head around the plantation.
1t was a strange, weird picture to see
the 1.-THE, slender woman, and the tall.
gaunt form of her brother as they
pushed their way through the tangled
bracken, their eyes rivited on the
ground at their feet. Spectre-like they
traversed the summit of the mound
and hill, stalking through field and
pasture, and crept in the silence and
shadows of the woodland. It was a
sad sight to see the twain at nightfall,
sit down sullen, detected aud disap-
pointed to their niggerly meal in the
gloom of the old house, exhausted with
their ceaseless tramp.
Intercourse with their neighbors had
almost ceased, and they were startled
one evening when they found them
selves face to face with one of their
fathers old friends. The presence of
any person in the old house seemed al
most an apparation. The visit was
prompted by kindly feeling of inter-
est, and their visitor protested mildly
but earnestly against their course. He
urged them to stop their folly, refill
the houses with tenants and again Gull
tivate their farms. Harold listened
respectfully, thanked his visitor for the
show of good will, but asserted posi-
lively his intention of keeping up the
search.
Not many days after the visit just
recorded Harold, while prospecting on
the top of the hill, was sure his rod
gave indications of a mineral deposit.
| All a-tremble he tried the spot a sec
ond time. Yes, he was sure, the rod
dipped to the earth. He marked the
place and crept stealthily away. Seek
ing his sister he told her that the
treasure was found At nightfall they
would go forth and bring it home.
Armed with pick and shovel, they
stole warily out through the darkness
casting furtive glances about them to
make sure they were not watched. AT
last they stood above the precious
spot. Harold pushed aside the dead
| leaves and grass, and began to dig
away the mellow earth. Deeper and
wider grew the excavation; fainter and
fainter throbbed their hopes; 10y. ar
and lower waned the moon, until the
delivers stood pale and faint In the
gray of morn.
That evening Harold and his sister
sat moodily in the room in which
their father had died. They had al
ways avoided the room, and now they
wondered at their presence in 1t. Some
| strange fascination was upon them.
They were growing morbidly supersti-
| ious of late. A candle suffered on
the table between them, Illuminating
feebly the darkness. The white Gov
ering of the bed on which the miser
died doomed family in the shadows
and looked not unlike crouching
ghost about to spring from the gloom.
Harold gazed intently at the blurred
drapery until the whole scene flashed
on him again: he could see his fathers
face distorted in death agony and
hear the whispered words Drop from
his lips. He sprang to his feet, ex-
claiming hastily, "On, on" Then,
turning to his startled sister, he asked:
"Hettie, can't you think what father
would have said after ON? See II you
can't; put your head to WORK. This
it the point at which we should have
started long ago"
After thinking, with knit brow, In
silence for spell, he began: "On, on
top-On, on, op-On, upon the-On top
81 the--On, on what, sister? On top OF
the what? We ought to guess what
would come next. On, on" he looked
searchingly about the room-"on the
the clock, he cried, springing 10 his
feet as his eyes stared into the face
of an old, silent cuckoo clock in the
corner IT'S there, Hettie; don't you
remember how father stared at the
clock when he was dying? Yes, We'll
find some clew on the clock. have a
presentiment that our disappointing
quest Is at an end he continued, ner-
vously mounting a chair His sister
stood at mis- side, holding aloft the
pickering candle. Harold was feeling