The age-herald., 1900-03-18

be written out as a last chapter of the story and sent in to this department be- tween March IS and 25.
 CHAPTER XI.
 The boys scarcely recognized hat they were standing in the presence of death, so quietly had their good friends last mo- ments ended and in less than one half hour after the spirits flight, they stood dn the door of the small cabin watching the road thither from the illage, hey saw the doctor with two or three of the boys coming rapidly if fearful that the worst had occurred in their absence. They were not surprised to learn that the poor old man had already breather his last.
 The boys were immediately dispatched for some of the villagers to come and take charge of the performance of the last obligations to a fellow creature.
 After seeing to everything which re- mained for them to do, the boys mourn fully walked away for the last time from the little house in which they had spent many pleasant hours.
 They left the path towards the village ere long, and rapidly traversed the dis tance to the cave wherein their prisoner was confined. They found him still in the spot to which they had so securely bound him two days before and glad enough, no doubt to see them was he.
 They sadly informed him of Uncle Dick s death, and told him that for the sake of their good friend who undoubtedly desired him to be released and on whose account chiefly they had confined him, they now proposed to give him his liberty.
 An ugly oath was the only response. If he felt any sorrow it not manifest and the only emotion he displayed was an ill-eoncealed anger at being defeated in achieving hidden purpose rather than re- 8ret that a soul had been hastened to it's final account by himself
 Again blindfolding him they led him to the entrance of his prison and there / quietly bade him go away. He hastened first to the house of the dead man but on overhearing the statement that no money barely enough to defray funeral ex- penses had yet been found therein, he stayed not for ceremonies but departed Immediately. However, the boys confi- dently believed him to be lingering about the neighborhood of the hut for some days and so did not themselves go near it.
 Shortly after this a meeting of the club was called for final business session be- Tore the return to school. Though 1t was secret one it may be said the boys were quite jubilant over the statement made by the treasurer that there now cash in hand, funds sufficient to defray the ex- penses of the three friends who had not yet been financially able to matriculate. oS it arranged that three weeks later all nine would leave for the university of their choice.
 They were elated, not at having achieved a great victory but because they felt that fortune had rendered future victories easy to achieve by smoothing down the obstacles to greatness which poverty would have en- forced They resolved that this sudden ac- quisition of wealth should not, as was so often the case hinder but should facilitate their growth and development of charac- ter.
 Little said of the greater wealth to be the possession of one of their number at maturity but many plans were wisely discussed for the judicious and careful ex- penditure of money now in their hands.
 Not so profound, however, were the de- Alterations during this caucus as to pre- vent wild and hilarious romps and games as soon as they adjourned The old hills echoed and re-echoed with the college yell and even a hard game of base ball was in- sufficient to allay their eXilberant spirits.
 big feast for the day before departure was planned to be cooked and eaten gypsy fashion and all to have hand in its prep aration. They had been so entirely secret i've in all their sessions that not even the parents had learned the secret of their ability to pay the needed expenses of their comrades in school And Fred stated to his companions that he had communi- cated with MT. Dickenson and MT. Wilson and that the latter would be present at the first meeting of the club on their rival at college, at which time they would unfold to him all they dhad concealed till now and seek his counsel and advise, in their final arrangements. To this all agred and impatiently await the coming of this event anxiously wondering if he would sanction their plans and decisions.
 Gro be concluded.
 You may now send in your guesses. All