The daily Alaskan., 1905-10-18
ShreWd Jabez CrOWfutt
IOrIgiraLl

has an especial gift he Is unconscious | of 1t, whereas If he thinks he possesses a gift he Is usually mistaken. At any rate, Jabez considered his faculty foI making Shrewd deals so pronounced | that he left his wife to do all the work | on his little farm while he traded in horsehesh, cattle and such live stock as farmers use. All the money that was made came from the wOman's efforts. One summer evening Jabez was smoking his pipe on his stoop when a man drove up in buggy and asked if he could be accommodated with a sup, per and bed for the night Jabez was about to turn him away when he noticed that the horse he drove was built for speed. He at once conceived the Idea of getting the animal Into hls possession by trading the poorest horse In his barn for 1t and acCeded to the | strangers request. During the even Ing he pumped the owner of the ani- nal to discover if be was aware of It's value. The man did not appear to put much value on his horse, and Jabez thought if he could keep him In the house long enough he might make the trade.
 Jabez had no difficulty in persuading the stranger to remain over day, and, for the matter of that, he showed no disposition to depart at the end of a week or a month or six months. He was all this time making up his mind whether he wished to swap horses. Then Jabez told him to make up hIS mind or get out, whereupOn the stranger swapped horses without any ito boot" and JNbez was delighted. The horse he gave was not worth $50, while the one he received be finally sold for $500 This fine bargain, the only one Jabez ever made, confirmed him In the opinion that he was a born trader.
 One day the stranger told Jabez that he was staying ID the region for his health; that he had been greatly bene- fted and proposed to remain indet- nltely. If Jabez would let him build a small house on his premises he would pay a fine rental and turn over his house to Jabez without cost on his departure. Jabez was delighted. The stranger asked him to fix his own rental, and Jabez named an enormous price considering that in a short time he was to have the building. The lessee consented at once.
 Jabez supposed that as soon as the lease was signed the building would go up. but by the terms the lessor was entitled to put his structure wherever he pleased on Jabez's property. He spent several weeks making up his mind. then astonished Jabez by choos- Ing a spot which included the well The well was about ten feet in the rear of Jabezs dwelling, and the new structure would be disagreeably close, shutting of all light from the rear windows. Jabez protested, where upon the lessor, Instead of claiming his right under his lease, offered a handsome bonus, which satisfied Jabez and gave him great confidence in the way he managed his affairs; also a certainty that the stranger was either crazy or a fool.
 With the final payment, lumber be- gan to arrive and structure to go up over the well house. There were few windows and none In position where any one in the old house could look into the new one. This made the arChi- tectural- effect peculiar. In due time the building was finished and the stranger moved in. After that he stayed at home a great deal. Jabez wondered what he was doing In his house and one day cOndescended to ask his Wlte what she thought about It. She replied that the stranger had paid enough to do what he liked. Then one day Ja0ez noticed a crack ln his wall, but when he called his wife's attention to 1t she made light of It. Finally the hearth stone. which had lain on the ground in the same position for forty years showed signs of sinking. Then Jabez be- gan to suspect something was wrong.
 After noticing this lust peculiarly Jabez looked for the stranger to come ont of his house to ask him some Ques- tions. But the stranger did not come ont. Jabez waited three days, then, thinking tlr man might have died, told his wife that he proposed to open the door and investigate. The wife told him that be had best do so by all | means. Jabez went Into the new house and found 1t filled with dirt. In the middle was the well out of which the dirt appeared to have come. JaOez looked down and saw that there was no water. In some way 1t had either been turned off or the flow stopped al together. Jabez ran for a ladder and, putting 1t down, descended and found n tunnel running toward his house Going through It, he came to an exca' vation upward. Then be understood the settling of the hearth. Going back he told his wife of the wonderful dis | covery he had made.
 She burst out laughing.
 As soon as the good woman could control her mirth she made the follow Ing confession: She had suspected the stranger from the first and had at last l l,..r.,5 bt,,, with coO,p psDnCial de