Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-06-15
DAILY SHORT STORY
The Grave in the Cellar.
IOriginaI.l

Gus. There is an old saying, "A fool for
luck and poor man for children" and
Tom certainly Illustrated the last part
of the adage.
One night after Tom and his family
had gone to bed there came rap at
his door. On opening it he saw man
who looked more like a rag picker
than anything else standing at the
door. He asked Tom if he was not q
mason. When Tom replied that he was
the man asked him if he would do q
job of work for him that night. Since
there was nothing in the house for
breakfast and the stranger agreed to
pay him 50 if he would work I'M
til morning, Tom agreed, whereupon.
taking his tools, he went out with the
man, who after bl:ndfolding him led
him about in a tortuouS course and in
to a small cellar, where he removed
the bandage. The place was lighted by
a candle.
81 want you to take up a portion of
the cement floor and dig a grave" said
the man.
Tom set to work, took up an oblong
portion of the floor and dug Il grave
6 feet by .. Then the rag picker mount
ed a flight of steps, opened a door and
showed the end of pine coffin shaped
box through the opening. Tom took
hold, and the two carried the box and
lowered it into the grave.
A barrel of cement stood ready, with
everything needful for mixing ii. Tom
was directed to lay the floor, smooth
ing it so that when the cement had
become old no, one would notice that
the floor had been disturbed. Tom,
who was suspicious that murder had
been committed. looked about him to
discover something by which he might
identify the cellar, though there was
no probability of his ever coming into
it again. There was absolutely moth
ing unusual in the place, and all Tom
could do when the rag picker's back
was turned was to make cross on
the newly laid cement with the sharp
blade of his knife. When the job was
finished the rag picker blindfolded
Tom again and led him out of the cell
lar. After taking him over a winding
course finally the rag picker said:
Il am going to leave you now. Count
500, and when you have done so take
off the bandage. If you remove it be-
fore you have made the count you
will be Il dead man. You will find on
the ground something worth much
more TO you than the sum l agreed to
pay you"
Tom counted 500, then, after consid-
cradle delay, removed his bandage.
On the ground before him was piece
Of paper on which was written in pen
ell
Always get at least portion of
your pay before doing work.
Ten years passed. Tom remember
ed the rag pickers advice and would
have profited by it, but there was so
little work to do that he was Obliged
to take his chances for pay. He was
turned out of one house after another
till he brought mp in a deserted hovel
on a lonely road. 1t was an autumn
day when the family went there. and
Jenny sat down on a stump and began
to cry.
Never mind, dear. girl" said Tom
cheerfully; fools are usually cheerful
under misfortune. It's darkest before
day. Maybe something will turn up"
"Or down." added the wife, with a
fresh burst of tears.
Tom, who was never idle when there
was work to do, set about gathering
the fallen wood lying about, (which he
carried into the cellar. After carrying
in the first load he came out with a sin
gular expression on his face and asked
his wife for small hand magnifying
glass that his youngest boy had used
So.
him, and he returned to the cellar.
Presently he went upstairs and told his
wife that they were in the house where
he had helped make a burial.
Jenny was depressed anew at having
to live over n corpse and declared that
she would not so to bed that night till
Tom had taken the horrid thing up
and buried it in the wood. Tom, who
was a patient fellow, first prepared Il
new burial place, then opened the grave
in the cellar and after much difficulty
(for Jenny could not be bought to help
him) got the box, much rotted,' out of
its resting place and carried it part
way up the steps to the cellar door.
There it slipped away from him and
fell with a crash to the floor, breaking
to pieces.
Tom turned round, expecting to see
a CHASTITY corpse, but instead saw sew
eral coins rolling over the floor. Seiz-
ing an ak, he completed the destruc-
ton of the box and found that it was
full of gold pieces.
. Jenny" he cried, "come here. The
collins broken. and the corpse is roll
ing about on the fioor!'
Jenny gave a shrek, but morbid
fascination which impels people to look
at awful sights led her to the cella~
door, and the sunlight shooting through
a small window showed her the shin.
ing gold.
Inquiry revealed to Tom that the
kouse had once been habited by rag
picker who was suspected of being
miser. But the man was dead. and no
one knew who he was or whether he
had any relatives.
Tom bOIgbt the hOT1Se and oroduoIlv