Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1910-01-13
brown egg In his hands. At the foo,

struck him; he put his finger In his
mouth and hung his head for a mo-
ment. then nodded as II his decision
pleased him. Taking the ladder into
the house, he proceeded to investigate
the walls and roof. At the point
where his mothers money box lay
hidden he noticed that the thatch had
been disturbed and with grin of de
lighted expectation he put the ladder
into position and running up It was
soon In possession OF Rachel's treas
ure. He shook the box, then tried TO
get his finger through the opening
and, failing. put the box into his peck
ct and scrambling down carried the
ladder back to the fowl-house and re-
turned himself to the shade Of the
jackfruit tree, where, with the aid of
a penknife, the lid was soon removed
from the box and Son-son gazed at
the golden coins with much curiosity.
That they were money he knew. but
of their value or where they might be
changed he was ignorant; besides. he
had no immediate use for them, be-
yond the feeling of anger against her
lover their loss would cause his moth
er. So, digging a deep hole under
shelter of low-growing rose bush,
and mailing back the lid OF the box, he
buried his treasure as he knew was
customary with the Spanish buc-
cancers. Then he built a fire Of
brambles. cooked his fish and cocoa
thereon, and, having eaten them,
stretched himself once more under his
favorite tree to yawn away the time
till his mothers return.
Rachel arrived in high spirits, hav-
ing sold her provisions to such good
advantage that the wedding gown had
been purchased without breaking in
on her golden store. That evening
when Methuselah came to pay his
usual visit. she displayed to his ad.
miring eyes piece of white silk gaily
lowered. explaining that the ten
pounds was still intact, and would now
serve to pay for an addition to her
house, in which they would live after
marriage, it being already a good deal
larger than her fiance's bachelor resi-
dence.
AN I been t'inkin', Methuselah,"
said she, dat de bes' ting to do wild
dat money, meanw lie, is to put 1t In
de bank. Wat you say to dat? l
t'ink / will jis' get 1t down now vile
you is here to hold de ladder for me-"
CHANGING at the two children, who
were sound asleep in a corner of the
room. and without waiting for Methu-
selah's expression of opinion, she went
out to get the ladder. AS before, he
held it in place while she mounted
and searched among the thatch. her
face expressing more and more be-
wilderment when her treasure was
not forthcoming. When the truth
dawned upon her, she slid down the
ladder, and seized the little shrunken
body at the foot of II in her strong
arms
What followed Methuselah could
never rightly recall until he found
himself mounted on his mule, and
riding for dear life out of the yard
At the gate something whlzzed past
his head and startled his mule, which
broke into wild gallop. landing Me-
thuselah on the top of his head in
roadside drain Here he lay for
while stunned by the fall, and II was
midnight before he lifted the latch OF
his little cottage door, and threw him.
self, all battered and faint, upon his
bed The mule had found his way
home sooner. and was quietly crop.
ping the short grass around the hut,
without one qualm of conscience to
disturb his repast
Not long after this an uncle of Me.
died, leaving him what, in
the eyes Of his black friends, seemed
a large fortune, and then Rachel be-
gan to repent OF her hasty judgment.
Even if him did teck de money Il
wouldn' matter, for him got more dan
dat now himself. an him so weak I
could have manage him all right" she
reflected. "Francella." said she, to
the little girl, get de hoe; Tgoin' dig
up dat roses bush; 1t grow too big.
an goin' to dead anyway"
Francella obeyed, and Rachel was
soon working away at the root of the
despised rose bush. turning up great
clods of earth at every blow which ii
was Francella's delight to break open
in the hopes of finding therein some
insect. Soon she gave
scream of delight, and Rachel turned,
to sec her lost money box in the little
girls hand.
Were you fin dat?" she asked
I'm the hole you diggin', ma. IL
SCUM like money in it, too" Francella
exclaimed excitedly, jumping up and
down.
Rachel threw down her hoe and
with a pair of scissors she had about
her person took off the lid of the box.
There lay her ten golden sovereigns.
bright and safe.
That afternoon she donned her Sun
lay dress. and went TO "meetin'." Me
huselah had taken more violently
han ever to religion since his unhap-