Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1910-05-13
SARAH'S FIVE ACRES,
BY N. QUAD.

l-opyrlght, 1910 by Associated Literary
Press.l
Zeph Smith, bachelor, was Long
Island farmer, whose sister kept house
for him. In farmhouse almost across
the highway from the Smith place
lived Sarah White. Sarah was an old
maid and lived with her father and
mother.
One day Zeph lounged over to the
other house and found Sarah sewing
rags for new carpet.
Sarah, think me m you had bet
ter get married." he said.
1t was sudden, and Sarah lost her
needle. 1t was sudden, and Sarah
blushed. Then she recovered her lost
needle and looked up to reply:
"Well, Zeph, if you think best"
When Zeph went home and told his
sister that he was to be married and
she asked him when he carelessly re-
piled:
''Oh, l can't say as to that, but 1t
will come about some time"
After year or so and after the
neighbors had decided that there
would be no match Zeph went over to
spend an evening with his fiancee. 1t
was popcorn night, and as they popped
and ate he casually inquired:
Sarah, me m you are going to get
married some day, amt we?''
Il dunno" she replied.
But of course we are. asked you
whole year ago, and you said yes,
and 1 shall hold you to it. By Jimmy,
Sarah, but think heap of your
At the end Of another year about
the same performance was gone
through with. Zeph didn't intend to
be mean about it. 1t was just his
way. If Sarah had got right up and
said they must he married within two
weeks or he could go to Texas they
would have been wed. AS long as
she didn't, why hurry things up?
Three years had almost passed away
when the matter was taken out of
their hands. Cupid vas replaced by
tin peddler, and the latter proved that
he could give the little god Of love
spades and cards and then win the
game.
At the age of twenty Sarah had
been left five acres Of land bordering
OIL Long Island sound. 1t was rocky
and sandy and sterile.
One day the tin peddler heard of the
case of Zeph and Sarah from Gus
toner. He criticised Zeph and felt
sorry for Sarah, and he determined to
right things. Perhaps, he thought,
that one good deed toward the end Of
his career would Offset all the little
tricks he had worked. He heard Of
the land ut the same time he heard OF
the long and lingering engagement,
and he wasn't half an hour laying
plans. A week later he put up at a
farmhouse a mile away, but near the
five acres. Under the pretense of not
feeling we'll he made stay of two
days. Then he drove to the house Of
Zeph Smith and was told by the sister
in what field to find him. Zeph loved
and admired tin peddlers. They We're
never in hurry, and they had trav-
eled and seen the world. He stopped
his blowing to greet this one, and they
were soon seated in the shade of a
tree. The peddler was looking mystic
rious. He was looking around to see
If anybody but the pillow horses was
present.
do you want money!" he finally
whispered.
Zeph replied that he did.
Have you ever heard Of Captain
Kidd:"
Zeph acknowledged his guilt.
do you know that he buried thou
sands Of dollars within two miles Of
you:'
Zeph's mouth opened wide, and his
eyes hung out.
''And I've got some of the coins!
Look at these!'
He stretched out his hand, and on
the palm rested three or four ancient
coins.
"And-and what?" gasped the farm
er after long look.
well dig them up together and
divide even up. might have done it
alone, but you see must have the con-
sent Of the owner Of the land. I un-
derstand that you know her-Miss Sa-
rah White?"
why, I'm going to marry herr
Gee. but that's fine! When is it to
come OFF,
"Oh, some time or other! No hurry
about it,
There isn't, eh? No hurry when l
picked up these coins beside big rock
just above high water and feel sure
there are boxes Of them under the
rock! No hurry when the next man
may grab the whole thing! Why, I'll
60 over and buy the land from the wo-
man myself!'
"say, say, you hold on"' put in
Zeph. Il won't let you buy it Of her.
say I'm going to marry herr
But you can't wait year or a
month. You can't wait another day.
Parties may land by that big rock any
hour, and IL they do
But Zeph was taking the horses from
nd n