The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1906-09-29

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country a-dropping them penny pencil
cases about. London and the environ.
will get the most. and between our
selves, here in Wimbledon where I'm
SO known and respected in the parish
were going to dash EN- about freeiv
Two thousand pounds at least is 70,
the good of the Vim Oiedonians. II
that don't make me more popular than
ever, l don't know what will. Look
after your own, | say"
| Five days later than Mr.. Pontifex
had propounded this great scheme a
very handsome, well-set-up Young man
| was waking down ain the summer
tlme-leafy lane, and this young man
| was engaged on a treasure hunt. But.
since he had not bought any of Mr..
Pontlfex's cakes of backing with the
directions inside as to where his
sovereigns might be found inside their
penny pencil cases, it was not for
them that he was hunting Yet, all
the same, 1t was treasure belonging
70 Mr.. Pontifex which he was looking
for, viz, his daughter For he and
Mlralel Pontifex loved each other.
and Pontliex was stern parent of
the good old Surrey side style of
melodrama, and he laughed to scorn
the pretensions of Herbert Gay to an
mex his daughter and his ducats. But
M!rabel loved the young man, and.
consequently, they were reduced 20
clandestlne meetings, SO that they
might have the opportunity Of fire.
quently repeating to each other the
state OF their feelings, and bewailins
their unhappy fate and the hardness
OF Mr.. Pontifex's obdurate and bust
ness-like heart.
But, Mirabel often said to her low
er, If you could only show father
that you had some way of making
living, OF making money, do believe
ne would give in. He likes you for
yourself, and it's nothing against you
IN MS eyes that you have got such
fashionable relations only he says
Snail never marry man who isn't
sharp enough to make money. If you
could make five hundred pounds, or
even one, and show him that you
made It cleverly, shrewdly, | believe
ne would arrange things all right for
us. But you can't do that by writing
poetry, can you, dear?"
No" Herbert Gay would reply
gloomily, Il can't. l suppose l must
get JOB somewhere"
But now, as he walked down the
lane IN question, he was not bent so
much on meeting Mirabel as on going
to an old oak tree, which had, as such
things very often conveniently pos
sess-to oblige lovers in novels and
tales-a great hole in its decayed
trunk. He went toward it because in
this tree in the lane, which was out
side Mr.. PontifeX's domain, it was the
naDlt for Mirabel to place letter for
Herbert whenever anything happened
70 prevent her getting out to him.
He went toward it, therefore, and
was just about to insert his hand in
the big hole, and grub ABOUT amidst
the rotten touchwood inside, when, to
his establishment, he saw a man some
two or three hundred yards down the |
lane, who was upon his knees, thrust
ing something under small heap OF |
fallen leaves. Watching him further, |
ne noticed the man trust this some |
thing which looked like small |
truncheon, further into the leaves, and |
fv1rt ho TIM
Of the lane he was out of sight. And
he now saw that in his hand he car
ried another similar object.
iii just See,' murmured Herbert |
Gay, whether Mirabel has left a let
ter or not, and then I'll go and find /
out what the gentle joker has showed
under the leaves. l expect it's a dead
bird or something. Perhaps he has
a kindly heart
Upon which Gay put his hand in
the hollow tree, and when he had
done so he found letter from the
girl of his heart, saying she could not
meet him today But he also found
else.
His hand came into contact first
with one of those truncheon looking
things the other man had been push
ng under the leaves, then with a sec
ond, third, and so on, until he had
,elt eight of them, after which he
pulled out one and inspected it.
"A schoolboy's pencil case" he ex-
claimed to himself Lets see what
5 in it. I suppose that chaps an
dot, or playing a game with some
children. Good lord.' he went on, as
lie opened the pencil case, what's
his?" For as he did so out came
fifty sovereigns, while further inspec.