Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-04-13

been scattered by the winds; and the grave
stone of it's dead owner 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 hid
den the empty tin cans, broken boxes and
fragments of clothing which usually heaped
and Uttered the tent pegs of the pioneer.
Natures own profusion had thrust them
into obscurity. Jackson Wells smiled as he
recalled his sanguine partners idea Of a
treasure trove concealed and stuffed in the
crevices of this tenement-already so pal
pably picked clean by those wholesome
scavengers of California-the dry air and
burning sun. Yet he was not displeased at
tt obliteration of a previous tenancy:
originate, something. He whistled hope
fully as he lounged with his hands in his
pockets toward 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 inscrip-
ton in large hand: Notice to Trespass-
ers. Look out for the Orphan Robert" A
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
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 wan
ton mischief Of a schoolboy. But sudden
recollection of the lawyers caution sent the
blood to his cheeks and .Indled his indigna-
ton. He tore down the paper and rubbed
out the chalk interpolation-and then
laughed at his own anger. Nevertheless he
would not have liked his belligerent part
ners to see 1t.
A little curious to know the extent of
this feeling. he entered one Of the shops
ana by one OF two questions, which judic-
1ousiy betrayed his ownership of the prop
q frn doc 90, 4, 81
In a possible future customer, and the ordi-
nary curiosity in a stranger. The barkeeper
of the hotel was civil. but brief and gloomy.
lie had heard the property vas "willed
away on account OF some family Quarrel
which ''warn't none of his" Mr., Wells
would find Buckeye Hollow q mighty dull
place after the mines 1t was l.layed out
sucked dry by two or three big mine own
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
that he had ousted was Browns friend
Was 1t possible that she was a party to
Browns designs to get this three acres
with the other lands? If SO. his long suffer-
Ing uncle was only just in mis- revenge
He put all this diffidently- before his
partners on his return. and vas a little
startled at their adopting 1t with san
guine ferocity. They hoped that he would
of 1t. Such a course now would be 6ishon-
orable to his uncle's memory. 1t was
clearly his duty to resist these blasted
satraps of capitalists: he was prOyidential-
ly selected for the purposes village Hamp-
den to Withstand the tyrant. And I reck-
on that shark of a lawyer knew all about it
when he was gettin' off that purp stuff
about peoples sympathies with the GIRL"
said Rice belligerently. Contest the viii
would he? Why. II we caught that Brown
with a finger in the pie we'd inst whip nm
the boys on this ledge and lynch MIN, You
hang onto that three acres and the garden
patch OF your forefathers, sonny, and we'll
see you through!"
Nevertheless, 1t was with some miseiy-
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
still less any opposition on the part Of the
Objectionable relative, Brown. When the
wagon which contained his personal eff
fects and the few articles Of furniture
necessary for his occupancy Of the cabin
arrived the exaggerated swagger which
his companions had put on in their pas-
sage through the settlement gave way to
a pastoral Incidence equally half-real half
affected. Lying on their backs under q
buckeye they permitted Rice to voice the
soothin' and dreamy in this kind O. life,
Jacksy. and We'll make point Of comm
here for a couple of days every two weeks
to lend you a hand; 1t will be a mighty
good change from our niger work on the
claim" In spite of this assurance and the
help him put the place in order, they did
very little beyond lending cheering ex-
preston OF unqualified praise and unstinted
aovice. AT the end OF 10ur hours wedding