The Savannah morning news., 1901-04-14

had then blown far and wide through the
woods. BY grim satire nature seemed
to have been the only thing that still pros
pered in that settlement of man.
The cabin itself, built of implanted
boards, consisted of sitting room, din
ing ROOM kitchen and two bedrooms, all
plainly furnished although one of the bed
rooms was better ordered, and displayed
certain signs of feminine decoration
which made Jackson believe IL had been
his cousins room. Luckily, the slight
temporary structure bore no deep traces
of its previous occupancy to disturb him
with its memories, and for the same rea-
son IL gained in cleanliness and freshness;
the dry dessicating summer wind that
blew through 1t had carried away both
the odors and the sense of domesticity;
even the adobe hearth had no freside
tales to tell; its very ashes had been scat
tered by the winds; and the gravestone
of its dead owner on the hill was no more
favorless of his personality than was this
plain house in which he had lived and
died. The excessive vegetation produced
by the stirred-up soil had covered and
hidden the empty tin cans, broken boxes
and fragments of clothing which usually
heaped and Uttered the tent pegs of the
pioneer. Natures own profusion mad
Wells smiled las he recalled his sanguine
partners IDA of a treasure-trove con-
cealed and shifted in the crevices of this
tenement-already palpably picked
clean by those wholesome scavengers of
California-the dry air and burning sun.
Yet he was not displeased at this obltera-
ton of a previous tenancy; there was the
better chance for him to originate some-
thing. He whistled hopefully as he loung-
II IL
the only fence and gate that gave upon
the road. Something stuck up on the
gate post attracted his attention. 1t was
a sheet of paper bearing the inscription
in large hand: Notice to Trespassers:
Look Out for the Orphan Robert" A
plain signboard in faded black letters on
the gate which had borne the legend:
Quincy Wells, dealer in Fruit and Vege-
tables" had been rudely altered in chalk
to read, jackson Wells, Double Dealer
in Wills and Codicils;" and the intimation
Bouquets sold here had been changed
to Requests stole here" For an instant
the supplemented Jackson failed to dis
cover any significance of this outrage
which seemed to him to be merely the
wanton mischief of a schoolboy. But q
sudden recollection of the lawyers eau
ton sent the blood to his cheeks and
kindled his indignation. He tore down
the paper and rubbed out the chalk in
,terpolation-and then laughed a. his own
anger. Nevertheless, he would not have
liked his belligerent partners TO see 1t.
little curious to know the extent of
this feeling, he entered one of the shops
and by one or two questions, which jul
diciously betrayed his ownership of the
| property, he elected only bridesmaids
| interest in possible future customer, and
the ordinary curiosity in a stranger. The
| barkeeper Of the hotel was civil but brief
and gloomy. He had heard the property
was "willed away" on account Of some
| family quarrel which "warn't none of
his" Mr. Wells would find Buckeye Hol-
| low a mighty dun place after the mines.
1t was played out-sucked dry by two or
| three big mine owners. who were trying
! to freeze out" the other settlers SO as
they might get the place to themselves
and boom it," Brown. who had the big
| house over the hill, was the head devil of
the gang. Wells felt his indignation
kindle anew. And this girl that he had
ousted was Browns friend. Was it pos
sible that she was a party to Browns
designs to get this three acres with the
| other lands? II so, his long-suffering I'M
| Gle was only just in his revenge.
He put all this difficulty before his
partners on his return. and was a little
! startled at their adopting ID with sanguine
ferocity. They hoped that he would put
an end to his thoughts of backing out Of
It, Such a course now would be dishon-
orable to his uncles memory. 1t was
clearly his duty TO resist these blasted
satraps Of capitalists; he was provident-
tally selected for the purpose-a village
Hampden to witstand the tyrant. "And
reckon that shark of a lawyer knew all
about 1t when he was gettin off that
'purp stuff about peoples symDathies
with the girl" said Rice belligerently.
Contest the Will would he? Why, II
we caught that Brown with a finger in
the pie we'd just whip up the boys on
this ledge and lynch him. You hang onto
that three acres and the garden patch OF
your forefathers, sonny, and wen see you
through"
Nevertheless. II was with some misgfv-
ings that Wells consented that his three
partners should actually accompany him
and see him put In peaceable possession
OF his Inheritance His instinct told him
that there would be no contest OF the
will, and stan less any opposition on tho
part OF the Objectionable relative, Brown
when the wagon which contained his per-
&C nal effects and the new articles Of FUR
niture necessary for his occupancy Of the
cabin arrived, the exaggerated swsRger
which bis companions had pat on IN their
psFsage through fhe settlement gave way
e. pastoral Incidence equally haif-resi
talf-anected. Lying on their backs IN
der q buckeye they permitted Rice 20
| voice the general sentiment There's q
fufhin' acofbip and dreamy Ia this kind
. NE. yhckay, ana we'll make point
~ comm here f0T couple ~ DAYS every
$40 weeks 40 lerd gQU & hand, q VIII be
= mighty 5000 clanEe ffom ouf niefff
sorh ~ enc claim " "a spite " ans ~.