The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1908-08-08
CONTINUED from Last Issue.)

1nES were all tl0L ne c0ulQ WISH. he
was not nationally disposed to exertion,
and the long, lazy afternoons in leafy
groves, where, lying supine with no
companions save his book and his pipe,
he could watch patches of blue sky al
ternate with f1eecy clouds and fall
asleep to the melody Of feathered or
chestra and the pianissimo chant Of
whispering winds, he found to be hal
cyon days. The country girls he did
not consider attractive. They were
either too angular or too shapeless, too
intensely intellectual or too wearisome-
ly pastoral He had made no overtures
toward Irritation. Dear old Jack! Wen
I knew that for him the whole round
earth contained but one woman. When
he was with her he was conscious Of
nothing but the pervading influence Of
her presence. When he was alone he
lived in recollection and on hope. Had
all the women of New England been q
bevy Of beauties whose charms rivaled
those of the cloud Of nymphs that
sought to lead st. Anthony astray,
Jack Scarborough's loyal heart would
have been steeled to their destinations.
Later he began to complain of ennui.
He proposed to stretch his limbs by
long tramps over the hills and study
the rugged type of character showed
by the shrewd, brOnzed Yankee farm
or. After he had started on these
strolls his letters became more inter-
esting At first he found these strolls
rather vapid, but he finally discovered
In an old plowman panacea for dull
ness. Perhaps the clearest light that
l. can shed here on subsequent events
may be found in one of his letters writ
ten shortly before his return.
81 have discovered the type of an
odd genus in the shape of an old farm
laborer. He is old and grizzled and
bent and extremely proud Of the fact
that he is an Englishman by birth. l
find no little entertainment in his COM
pany. He seems to love the soil as
though he were conscious of his kin
ship to it and not infrequently pauses
in his work to examine and break up
the clOds. When 1 ask him why he
does so he grows positively mysteri-
Gus and hints darkly at rich finds
made by him in the past"
A few days later he wrote: Il have
at length learned the secret Of my
farmer friends deep interest in the
Jumps Of dirt which Il turns over.
While Flowing in his native English
shire he Guearthed cracked Jar OF
unique pottery containing Il number OF
copper and silver coiIts. together with
one gold piece. ] have persuaded kim
to let me have peep at them and arn
to meet him for Inst purpose tomorrow
evening. You know my hobby. Fer
haps l may find something OF real
value"
Only n few days after the receipt of
New York. 1t was about half past 10
in the evening when he fairly burst
into our rooms. His abruptness, how
ever, WIS easily explained by his ex-
uberance Of enthusiasm. He was as
brown as nut from which the ripen-
aromatic husk. yet his cheeks glowed
with the ruddy hue Of exercise, and
his eyes fairly sparkled with excite
ment I was hard at work upon
brief, but dropped my pen making
q broad splash across the page nm my
eagerness to welcome him. A few
words of greeting were exchanged, and
then Jack dashed into the subject
which was nearest to his heart.
Graham" he said, his voice fairly
qUivering with emotion, 1--WE found
yeritable- treasure, gold noble Of the
reign of Edward HI. And where do
you think / got it? From that old
plowman up in Berkshire.
As he spoke he extracted from an In
ner pocket of his purse an irregularly
shaped gold coin with odd devices and
i'll shaped letters stamped on both face
and diverse. and placed it in my hand
with pride and exultation which
were almost boyish. I failed to see
anything about it particularly interest
Ing. yet tried TO syInpathlze in his joy,
even although | COULD i'll no degree I'M
derstand it. TO me this treasure seem
ed an exceedingly commonplace affair
"a thin. fiat piece of gold. somewhat
worn and very poorly stamped. chiefly
interesting as a sort of object lesson
illustrating the strpendoGs advance
made in the science and mechanism OF
mintage in our own times.
What is it WORTH" was my first in
quiry.
Scarborough laughed.
That's you all over" he cried. Il
suppose your humdrum profession
must cultivate your commercial in
stincts. for l can remember when con-
siderations of relative cost and value
didn't cut much figure in your calcula-
tons. However, my cynical mentor. let
me tell you that this coin is worth a
pretty sum-more than fifty times
what paid for it. There are very few
perfect specimens in existence. But
nothing would tempt me to sell 1t. II
had bought it in speculative way.
l should feel as though had taken q
mean advantage Of the seller. but in
ecrnuoh ae purchased II aa n curiO