The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-18

pean languages.
 NN one of the rocky islands of north
 ern Scotland two fishermen O dwelled many years ago, in happy and undisturbed companionship. Both were unmarried, neither had any rela- tives, and their labors were divided with such unselfshness and willingness that they had no trouble in supporting them selves in the simple existence that con- tented them.
 They were nearly equal as to age, but in person and in temperament they were not more alike than an eagle is Ike 8 sea COW.
 Kaspar StI umpf was short and thick set, with a bread, fat face like a full moon Grief and worry seemed utter strangers +o his eyes, from which there shone peren- nial laughing good nature. He was not only fat, but sleepy and sluggish. There fore he was pleased to undertake The work of the little house, cooking, baking, mending and knitting nets, both for thelr own use and for sale, and in adlduoh, with all his slowness. he managed to at- tend to the simple farming of their htlie 
 held.
 His mariner was his direct opposite. Wilm Fake was tall and lean, with d bold nose like @ hawks beak, keen eyes and a general appearance to spoke or lh- stant determination. The nature or the man did not belle the appearance. FalKe was famous as the most daring erass- man among all those desperate men WHO hunted birds eggs and feathers by letting themselves down the dizzy cliffs. He was +be most industrious and at the same time tbe luekiest of the fishermen. During his hours ashore he worked with intense en- ergy and quickness in the field.
 In all the islands he was notorious as heinz the sharpest trader and me mos uvaricious, but whatever he soio "dS good and every transaction was Tree run the least taint of dishonesty or aeos4l' Therefore he had plenty of customers anu he and Kasper lived well, for Falke 'i1 ,,ided his hard-earned money cheerfully .ra faithfully with his partner, despite his greed for wealth The two men, living so simply anu rnending scarcely anything, were well on the way to modest independence; put eiiis ,a;a mot satisfy the desire of Wilm Fake. Nothing was sufficient for him except lo Income rich. He dreamed and thought and schemed for wealth-not merely or einarv riches but immense treasure.
 since all hope of that was but wild Eream for poor fisherman, he reahzeo that he could attain his desire only through some extraordinary piece or LUCK. Still the desire would not leave ms not brain. Thus filled with a single domnat- Ing idea, Wilm alke became convinced et last that sooner or later he would Find a way to gain fortune with one great effort.
 Finally he fell into the habit of speaking of it to Kaspar strumpf as something that was certain to happen. Kaspar had de- vout and complete faith in everything that was done or said by his masterful Friend. He told the neighbors that Fake soon would be vastly wealthy. Before long the story ran through all the islands that Fake either had sold himself to the Evil One for gold or that he had, at least. received an offer from the Prince of Darkness.
 At first Fake laughed at the story when it came to his ears. Then he pleased himself with the whimsical re- fection that spirit from the under world might show him the hiding place of A. treasure After a while he did not laugh in scorn when his fellow fisher men mentioned the tale in his hearing. He became silent and his mind concentrated itself on strange thoughts.
 The energy with which he had sought fish on the open sea began to diminish. The once indefatigable man, who had used every hour for vigorous work, spent hours seeking for some adventure that would bring him sudden wealth. Natural 1y his mind turned ever and again to the pecan, and he became a prey to constant reflection about the rich wrecks that strewed that wild and deadly coast.
 An unhappy chance brought 1t about one day. as he stood on a lonely beach and stared into the moving sea, that a great breaker burst almost at his feet with a mass of whirling sea mosses and stones that it had torn from some sunken reef Among the sea-wreck thus thrown before him his quick eye saw something foreign. He stopped and picked up lump of goldl
 Wilm Fake stood as if petrified. Now he knew that his hopes and dreams had not been empty visions The gold that the sea had given him must be bit from some heavy ingot, rubbed and worn by the restless waves through the genera lions till it had become a round lump nc larger than bullet.
 Somewhere here must lie a richly lader ship, perhaps galleon It was clear a' day in his mind that he had been SC ures from the lap of the ocean, where they had lain so long.
 From that moment this became his sol, desire, his sole task. He kept his find SC cret from all eyes, even from Kaspa Strumpf, that none might discover wha he knew His fishing, his trading wer, forgotten He spent days and night along the coast, fishing desperately ant at risk of his life. But he cast no net fo things of fin or scale. That which h east was a dredge, and 1t was sent int the deep to seek for gold.
 1t brought in nothing but sea weed an' see ooze. Instead of wealth, his mono mania brought poverty. He earned noth sps any more, and Ksspars faithful bu .luxeish efforts did not suffice to supper shem both. Gradually the greater par of the little capital that they had earned hy the constant labor of many years be