Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-08-22
Dream



monday meal a tramp turned in from
the highway and asked for a bite to
eat. He was asked if he would work
for it, and after a look in the direc-
ton of the cornfield and shake of the
head he replied:
I'm just out of the hospital with
three broken ribs and am not strong
enough but I'll do a heap better than
to handle hoe. l turned in here be.
cause l dreamed of this place last
night while | was Sleepin' in a barn
FIVE miles away. Yes, it's the same
place-house, barn, orchard, blue pump
in the well and everything else. It's
just as if my dream had been photo.
graphed."
what sort of dream?" asked the
farmer, but without much curiosity.
81 thought | stood right there under
that pear tree and saw you come up
from the barn. You had an iron bound
box on your shoulder, and you could
hardly stagger under it. You threw
it down just where that old hen is
scratchin' and got the ak and broke
it open. Gee whizP'
!, "And what2"
"WeI, the $50 gold pieces went fly
in all around here like snowfakes In
winter. 1t was the beautifuleSt sight
my eyes ever beheld-great big yaller
coins, and how they did chink togeth-
er! 1t was their chinkin' that woke
me up"
"But there's nothing in dreams" said
the farmer, although he was beginning
to turn pale around the mouth.
"Mebbe not, mebbe not, but / never
had one yet that didn't come true. Are
you willin' to let me search your barn
and gimme half what findp'
"You sit down here and I'll bring
you out some dinner, and then We'll
talk further about it.
Farmer Bingham was no fool. He
was young man of twenty-five and
was accounted above the average in
sharpness. but the dream hit him. He
had scarcely related it to his wife
when she exclaimed:
''You carry that tramp out the big
gest dinner he ever had and then pump
him dry and get rid or him.
After the tramp had eaten his fill he
offered to help them about the box.
They made excuses.
Ladies and gentlemen" he said, 81
understand perfectly understand.
You don't want me around when the
box is found and opened. You don't
want me to hear the chink-a-chink of
them yaller boys. You think I'd claim
a sheer for dreamin'. WAL, I'll move
on and let you have all the fun to your
selves"
The tramp was watched out of sight,
and then the couple went to the barn
and began their search. They had put
in two hours and were still at 1t when
Mrs. Bingham's mother arrived. The
idea was not to give her the slightest
hint about the treasure, but In the
course Of half an hour she had picked
the information from her daughter.
Then she said:
Amelia, you want to see that you
get your rights in this thing. Half that
money belongs to you, and you want
to stand up for it."
''But George will do what's right
about it, of course"
There's no of course about it. The
minute he gets that box in his hands his
greed will be aroused. He won't want
to give you enough to buy an apron out
OF it,
That old barn was almost turned bot
tom side up, but no box was found.
The farmers brother came around
next morning on an errand, and when
he found George crawling out from un-
der the hogpen he wanted an explana-
ton and had to have it. AS soon as he
got it he said:
''You look out for Amelia. If ever
saw avarice in woman's eyes it's in
hers. She'll want at least half of the
money to buy gimcracks with"
Before noon the wife's father and two
brothers and sisters were on hand, and
after them came the husbands father
and other brother. There were wran-
Cling and quarreling from the start.
When the dirt floor Of the smokehouse
was spaded up and the spade struck
an old tomato can, there were pushing
and showing and swearing. When the
farmer prepared to drain off the wa
tiers Of the goose pond and refused to
pledge himself to an equal division,
there was a fight, out of which grew
bloody noses and black eyes. OF
course the affair attracted the atten-
ton of the neighbors. and they came
by the dozen to mix in and help along
things. The barn was pulled almost
- nc IN
different places and an old well on the
premises cleaned out. The house and
cellar were searched, straw stacks
tipped over, and, there was fever in
the veins of the searcherS. The farmer
and his wife had reached the point
where they no longer spoke to each
other, their kin were quarreling at
rnsSiLIn n1rnr1cc oc,1rnt,r