The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1900-05-31
The Second Chapter
BY Frederick ]. Burnett.

Michigan Central, were just click
ing over the last switch out OF haia-
mazoo, as | leaned back in the corner
of the smoking room to enjoy my after
dinner cigar and mediate upon the
ease and comfort Of my journey across
the state, and the sharp contrast 1t
presented 70 the journeyings OF Mar
Uuette and Cadillac.
The only other occupant OF the
room, a slight man with a sandy mus
tache. sat close to the window, using
the last CLEANS of daylight to read
something that appeared to interest
him greatly in one Of the small maya
zines.
After little he closed his magazine
md looked out Of the window; then,
turning TO me, said;
81 wish people who write stories
wouldn't stop in the middle Of en- as
81 the first half was all person would
want to know"
"An1ther Of THE Lady OF the Tiger
BRANDT | asked.
"Not this time; one OF those yarns
nbout fellow who is dead broke flnd-
ing some hidden treasure that makes
him n regular Croesus. This is the
third I've read in couple Of days, ana
they all stop at the find.
"Now, want to know the whole bust
ness; how he turned his diamonds into
sucats; how he felt dropping from his
old WAYS into new ones; II he had any
-, 4 no, 81 III =. n IL IN
Fl was something that had belonged to
some one else at some time or other, or
on land that wasn't his, seems to me
thcrc'd he somebody trying TO claim it..
want to know how he worked il to
hang on TO what he found"
Some one had been at the washstand
while he was speaking, and as he con
cludcd tall slender man appeared at
thc door.
ar YOU will have fresh cigar with
mc, and would care to hear it, ! will
tell YOU story Of that kind, for the
truth Of which can vouch, and give
you the second chapter too; though
in this case it was ducats and not dia-
monds
81 once knew "a young man who was
~ clerk In a coal Office in Omaha. He
didn't get a very large salary, but as he
was the only clerk, and had to give
more or less time and attention TO at
fairs that were personal TO the two
members OF the firm and not connected
with the coal business, he was kept
pretty busy, and pretty closely tied to
The Office.
Gle was an ambitious chap, and
something Of dreamer besides, and
each Of these characteristics made him
n hi, dissatisfied with his lot Ecouo-
mic as he might, he would save but
little. In the three ycurs since he came
from the eastern village that couldn't
even offer him what he was getting
nov, lac hadn't been able TO accumulate
500.
conc Sunday afternoon this man
trnupcd from Omaha TO Florence, a
little town just north, and WAS ram
bling about among the hills that sur
round II. Walking was his principal
recreation; it was cheap and he en-
joycd IT,
lie Ind wandered away from roads
mud paths into a wood that was tan
pied With vines and undcrhrush. II
was September, and warm, and when
he came out into the open. being hot
aud tired Lc threw himself down under
u walnut tree TO rest
before him was little glade which
the woods burdcrcd ON All sides; part
Of Il w1s covered with ragged growth
of Indian corn and part was planted
with millcts besides this there was
nothing 70 show that human being
had been there before. The ragged.
poorly tended corn suggested ia him an
aboriginal maize field. aud il seemed
60 him as II the spirits OF Mondamin
and lliawathu brooded over that peace
fuI little valley.
and he lay there thinking Of the red
men aud maidcns who used to dwell
among the hills over which he had Just
been wandering, and Who perhaps had
planted maize Ia that very spot. from
up in the woods behind him came the
tap. tap, tap Of a woodpccker. which
was answered by another tap, tap. tan
from the woods on the other side. lie
knew the taps 20 be woodpcckcr rap.
pings, but il seemed as II they were
Indian signals. told you he was u
dreamer.
"Prc1ently walnut fen from the tree
above him and rolled into little gully
that the water coming down the hill
behind him had washed nearby. lie
followed il will his eyes, and where Il
stopped, noticed what looked like q bit
of dirty canvas sticking out Of the
ground. Not little scrap, but appar-