Connecticut western news., 1910-12-29
A Lawyer and
 A Sinpleton By M. QUAD Copyright, 1910. by Associated Lit erary Press.
By M. QUAI

been dead for many years. Old John was not exactly a miser, but he was known as a money saver. From the age of ten, when he met with an acci- dent, Peter was the simpleton of the village and butt of ridicule, though he had been known as a bright child for the first few years. The doctors said there was something pressing on the brain and that an operation would fix things all right. but the father baked at the cost, and so Peter re- mained a simpleton. It was only when the old man came to die that he regretted his stinginess and neglect and said to the lawyer who drew the will:
 "Everything goes to Peter. He's simple minded, but he will get along. I want you to advise him and be sort of father. People think I've got lot of money, but that's ali non- sense. You can tell Peter, however, that there's something hidden away in the house that he'll come across some day and appreciate"
 Lawyers are entirely human outside | of courtroom. That hidden treasure had the same effect on Attorney Hen i derson as it would have had on a l plumber or blacksmith. Just where in | the house was 1t concealed? Was it ] in gold or greenbacks? Was it $10,-. 900 or double the sum? And wasn't l 1t shame that it should go to a sim pleton, whose wants were already sup piled? ......
 The more the lawyer argued and req soned with himself the more reason able 1t looked that he should come into 1 possession of that treasure. He felt that he could even convince judge and jury of the fact Within three months he was scheming. He called at the house now and then to see Peter. The young man seldom left the prem ises. He made garden, chored about the place and went to bed with the hens. It was easy to make an excuse to get him out of the house for an hour 1 or two. Then the lawyer instituted search He made three of them and ! found nothing-not that the treasure wasn't there, but because there are scores and scores of hiding places in any house. These vain searches con- vinced MT. Henderson that he should come into legal possession of the house, so that he might pull it to pieces if necessary.
 In selling 1t there would be work provided for the simpleton. The law yer would give him a certain sum of money and gravel pit to boot. The money would draw interest and every I load of gravel dug out would bring Peter 15 cents. Killing two birds with i one stone, you see. Attorney Tender son even got the credit of being philanthropist and humanitarian.
 Of course the simpleton was clay in I the hands of the potter. He went to | live with a family at so much per year, and he went to work in the gravel pit. The lawyer didn't rush things in mak- l ing other searches. He waited for weeks. Then at odd times he system atized his work.
 Twas a queer. thing that happened 1 after awhile. Attorney Henderson read treasure story in a magazine. It had many points similar to his. The heirs l tore an old house down piece by piece ] in search of a miser's loot and then l found it in the old clock on the man. tel The idea took root. None of the old furniture had been removed. The i searcher went at it to inspect and overhaul It took three more searches to bring success. Under the ragged cover of an old lounge on which Peter | Ao cla fov a tintype of the young mans mother. It was in a cardboard box, and in the handwriting of the father were a few lines explaining the identity of the pie i ture and adding that it was a treas ure to be valued more than money. After reading the lines the lawyer could not doubt that the find was what the old man referred to when on his dying bed.
 There was no one present to listen l to Attorney Henderson's "plea" when he decided that he had been sold and that he alone was responsible for the selling. It was doubtless a strong and able effort. He had paid full value for property he did not want, and the only consolation he had was in feeling that the gravel pit was more or less of fraud Simpleton Pete had plugged Naway at getting out gravel, but had met with loam and sand instead. He was about to abandon his labors when the irony of fate showed its hand. The whole village was jumped out of its boots one afternoon when he rushed along the main street swinging his hat and shouting. AS he rushed back again he was followed by crowd. He l led it to the gravel pit and to a small stout box he had unearthed When the box was broken open it was found to contain $25,OOO in English sover- eigns, buried during the Revolutionary war.
 The crowd first cursed Peter for his luck. Then it cheered him and bore him in triumph-a1l but one of the crowd. Attorney Henderson had the tintype of a homely old woman, dead