The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1904-05-19

hanging about the room that would
cast jus. such shadow. | discovered
nothing that was even remotely salts
factory, and convinced that the arm
was supernatural, L keyed myself up
and took a lamp close to the chimney.
No marks of any kind were to be seen.
With the activity of search my full
self-control returned, and also, instead
of a lessening, as would be natural,
there was deepening of the conviction
that there was some important infor-
nation for me in the movements OF
the arm.
81 took out my knife, and carefully
pricked all over the place where the
hand entered the wall. On one end OF
a brick found circular hole, as if it
had been ground out, but now filled.
with dust. In this ring was sunk,
and when I got my finger through it
you can imagine my feelings, for it
had certainly been put there to open an
aperture. If I pulled, what wotild be
the. result? Would door swing open
and disclose skeleton? 1t took some
nerve to pull, but Twas never. given to
'hesitancy, and. SO gave a jerk.
Nothing stirred. i tried again, with
strong, steady movement. At this
two bricks came away in my hand, up
held by the ring: They had been fas-
tened together on the inside, and the
ring was bolted through. I tried, tc
get the. light to shine in the opening,
but could not Then / ventured with.
my hand and arm, as had seen the
ghostly arm do, but l could not reach
anything.
Il was much excited, AMI determined
to tear. the wall away. That hole was
made for some purpose, and 1 was go
ing to learn what l brought some
tools, and went to work. l supposed
that l should have to go to the level
of the floor, but when l had taken out
about two feet two bricks wide l came
to a shelf, upon which rested a small
wooden box Eagerly l drew this out,
expecting to find money. for it came to
me as obvious that the thinking sound
made by the ghostly arm was designed
to tell that there was money within
for me. But as l took up the box my
spirits fell. 1t could not have weighed
more than half pound.
= "The reaction from nay hope was so
great that l went to the table slowly,
and opened the boz with feeling
something like disgust. A note was
lying beside a small bottle. This
unfolded, and read with slight curl
osity, which became evaporation by
the time l was through. 1t merely said
that the bottle in the box contained an
imprisoned genie in liquid form, whose
purpose was to benefit the finder by
turning all iron upon which it was
poured into gold. .. =
"A hoax! 1 exclaimed, in anger from
my overstrained nerves. Then
stopped short How had found that
bottle? BY means more occult than
could explain. And there. was no de-
nying anything, for box, bottle and
note lay before me. If the ghostly arm
could do so much, what might not the
liquid do? l sobered down. The whole
thing was plainly of a piece, and hav-
ing gone so far, it might be we'll to go
the entire length.
MY ardor revived. l took the bot
tie up gingerly, and held it to the light.
1t was filled with blush liquor which
seemed to emit little sparks when agi-
tated. Could it turn iron to gold? My
head was fairly dizzy with the thought
l must try. $685. ,-.. .
Taking it over to the brick hearth.
l opened it, and poured few drops on
an ak which I had brought into use in
demolishing the chimney. Instantly d
steaming vapor arose, sending off a
tremendous: heat. The helVe was
burned up in the twinkling of an eye.
and l jumped back in amazement. By
the time looked again, an ak of gold
lay in place of the iron, and the brick
was powdered half an inch deep.
"As soon as the AK could be examined
and satisfied myself that it really had
been changed. went wild. Every
thing in the house that was of iron
speedily brought and made over into
gold. So eager was that I did nor
notice the liquid until realized that it
was all expended. What a fool had
been not to husband it! Yet not Alto
gether, for scattered about was a for
tune in gold, which gazed upon while
resting for few minutes.
Now, there isn't any use in drawing
this story out, as you have the main
fact. concealed the gold-my gift
from the ghostly armand afterward
turned it into securities through the
proper channels.
The finish is given in a word. I was
a rich man, Mr.. Atherton was a willing
father-in-law, and I have the loveliest
wife in the world. You are both in
vited to dine with me tomorrow even
ing, and enjoy her welcome to my
friends ,>r. 49,.
IA short pause followed the conclu.
sion of Middleton's story. Then Jarvis
said, That's very interesting way to
tell us how you won your wife by max
ing money, but, er-" -'.
"Wen?" ........
That's just it," broke in Masters.
when we remember how you used to
spin yarns, you know"
Gentlemen" interrupted Middleton.