The Newark journal. (Newark, Ark.) 1901-1959, 1904-08-26

creeping age enfeebled him. The
time came when it required all his
strength to drag the smallest
chest from under the bed so that
he might sift the coins and hear
them ring. The exertion spent his
strength and he often wished i
were possible to sit idly by and yet
hear the clinking of the coins. As
he pondered over the idea of the
money making its own music
plan unfolded itself and Baptiste
resolved to adopt it straightway,
even if it should cost something.
The next day and for many days
thereafter, workmen were busy in
the miser's home. Baptiste fol
lowed them about and directed.
When they had finished, the result
of their labors stood in the center
of the room where he ate and slept.
1t was massiyely built, stone upon
stone, from the ground beneath
the floor 10 the height of nine feet.
Its other dimensions were three
feet each way. making its horizon
tai section square. Its walls were
six inches thick, leaving an interl-
or two and one-half feet square III
which man might stand erect and
turn about. The inside was metal
lined. There was d solitary barred
window. a few inches square, IN
one wall Of the structure, within
arms reach from the inside, that
admitted a shaft Of light. There
was also a heavy, swinging panel
door that locked with Il great key
through which man might
squeeze within the walls. Above
and with its apex hanging down
ward on the inside. was a metal
hopper as large as the top Of the
structure. The slots in the apex Of
this structure was the thickness
and width of a current gold or sill
yer coin. Baptiste's triumph
might have passed for huge stone
chimney, but it was money music
box, and, at the same time, vault.
The miser had only to carry
his coin in small loads up the lad
der against the outside, empty
them into the hopper, release the
mechanism at the slot, which
would drop the pieces at whatever
pace desired, and listen in idle &C.
stasy to their music as they
dripped within the vault, rolling
and ringing in sweetest symphony.
There was something almost pa
thetic in the childish way poor old
Baptiste would unlock the vault
door at night, carry a few gold and
silver burdens aloft to the hopper,
release the slide at the slot and
then sit crouched outside the
walls, listening TO the moneys mu-
sic.
The miser had been blessed with
a most profitable week in his slave
traffic. He counted his earnings
with excited fingers on Sabbath
morning and promised himself a
concert. the like Of which he had
never heard, on that very day. Go
ing up and down the ladder was
toilsome work for a feeble old man
like Baptiste, but the promised
music seemed to lend unusual
strength to his tottering legs and
palsied hands. How many times
he crept aloft burdened with coin
he knew not, but at last his wealth
lay cleaning in the hopper and the
vault was empty.
Then Baptiste SET the slot at a
measured pace, went down the lad
der for the last time and, sliding
through the open panel door,
pulled it slowly to and locked it on
the inside. He even removed the
key and placed il on the ledge OF
the single window which lighted
the interior, as if it were safer
there. The miser's grand concert
was under way The coins fell at
his feet and rolled about with
ringing accepts. BaPtiste crouched
in the corner and closed his eyes,
so that vision m ot snare