Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-03-29

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burial had taken place the day before.
He went up there and discovered that
the grave was open to its very bottom
and the box had been removed. Turn
ing to the harbor. he discovered that
the ship which had been anchored
there the evening before had also de-
parted. He went In to his wife and
said excitedly:
by gum, Patience. those fellows
were smugglersg'
What makes you think so7" asked
the wife.
THE grave has been robbed It was
q trick. Like enough the box had no
corpse in it, but was full of dutiable
goods Some confederate has taken It
out"
Well" said Patience, wiping dish.
'mebby after you've been q collector
for a spell you won't get taken in so
easy"
Nobody but you and me knows any
thing about it." rejoined Jerry thought
fully. al must go right out and ill
up the grave. I wouldn't have the Sc
cret get out for a thousand dollars"
Taking a shovel. he went out to the
knoll, glanced about TO see II any one
was looking and, feeling satisfied that
he was not observed, filed up the
hole.
"By gum" he said to himself as he
walked back to his house, that was
the siickest trick ever heard of. I
wonder Patience didn't get on to It
She is generally pretty wide awake.
but this time they caught her nappin'
as wei as me-"
"Pattencs." he said, II wish we'd "a
got ON TO those fellers. / might "a got
some promotion"
81 guess that's all you'd "a got. You
wouldn't "a got any OF the goods"
Whipple looked more disturbed over
the matter than his wife. His salary
as collector was infinitely small. and
there was not much comfort for him
In life, his wife having a hard time to
clothe and educate the children and
make ends meet Besides, the govern
ment might be informed OF what had
been done and he would lose his posi-
ton. On the whole. he was as much
depressed over the result as he had
been elated at having done a good &C
ton.
One day Patience told her husband
that she must go to a neighboring city
to visit a dentist. He groaned, not
knowing where the necessary funds
were to come from. But Patience
kissed him goOdby cheerily and took
her departure, leaving him TO take care
Of the children for a whole day.
The next morning Whipple received
a document with the United States
treasury departments official stamp.
Diminishing him from his Office.
81 knew It," he moaned. Somebody
saw the whole thing and reported it."
His wife sat down on his lap and
put her arms around his neck.
81 reported it, Jerry"
your"
Eyes"
81 saw through that sniveiin' mourn
er at once. He overdid his cryin'. As
soon as you were in bed that night I
went out with a spade and dug up the
box. 1t was SO light that l knew 1t
didn't contain q body. / carried 1t to
the old boathouse and hid it up In one
OF the rottin' boats. The next day
went and opened It and found 1t full
of laces and Jewels. ! wrote a letter
to the government under an assumed
name. tellin' them that I knew where
smuggled goods were hidden and
would tell them II they would give me
half They agreed, and met them
yesterday and took them to the goods.
They valued them at over $4,000 and :
offered me $4,000 down TO settle. 1
took 1t, and here's the check"
She held q United States treasury
check before his astonished eyes.
When he had recovered something OF
his equanimity. Patience continued:
1.-TWO things would show that the
goods had been struggled In past you
the place where they were hidden and
my real name. which must be disclos-
ed. But before gave either I secured
a promise that nothin' more than dis
missal should be visited on you. !. not
bein' the collector, could sell the secret
to whom I pleased or keep the goods,
as liked. They. acknowledged that
they had no case against me and
didn't know who ] was until all was
settled"
"By gum. Patience. you're n brickw
Mr.. Whipple, having capital. went TO
the city, became a politician and is
now collector of a large port. He has
eliminated all trtckery among Snug.
glers in his department. But 1t is IN
derstood that credit for this happy
state OF affairs Is due 70 his wife