Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1911-01-05
A Lawyer and
A Simpleton
BY M. QUAD
Copyright, 1910. by Associated Lit
erary Press.


was not exactly a miser, but he was
known as money saver. From the
age Of ten, when he met with an acct
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
manned simpleton. 1t 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.
1 want you to advise him and be
sort of father. People think I've got
lot of money, but that's all 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 a courtroom. That hidden treasure
had the same effect on Attorney Hen
derson as it would have had on a
plumber or blacksmith Just where in
the house was it concealed? Was it
in gold or greenbacks? Was it $10,-
600 or double the sum? And wasn't
it a shame that it should go to sim
pleton, whose wants were already sup
piled?
The more the lawyer argued and rea-
soned with himself the more reason
able it looked that he should come into
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. 1t was easy to make an excuse
to get him out of the house for an hour
or two. Then the lawyer instituted a
search. He made three of them and
found nothing-not that the treasure
wasn't there, but because there arc
scores and scores Of hiding places in
any house. These vain searches con-
vinced Mr. Henderson that he should
come into legal possession of the house,
so that he might pull it to pieces if
necessary.
In selling it there would be work
provided for the simpleton. The law
yer would give him certain sum Of
money and a gravel pit to boot. The
money would draw interest and every
load of gravel dug out would bring
Peter Is cents. Killing two birds with
one stone, you see. Attorney Hender-
son even got the credit Of being a
philanthropist and humanitarian.
OF course the simpletOn was clay In
the hands Of the potter. He went to
live with family at so much per year,
and he went to work in the gravel pit.
The lawyer didn't rush things in max
ing other searches. He waited for
weeks. Then at odd times he system
atiZed his work.
Twas a queer thing that happened
after awhile. Attorney Henderson read
a treasure story in a magazine. 1t had
many points similar to his. The heirs
tore an old house down piece by piece
in search of a miSer'S loot and then
found it in the old clock on the man
tel The idea took root. None of the
old furniture had been removed. The
searcher went at it to inspect and
+ cnor0hpc
to bring success. Under the ragged
cover of an old lounge on which Peter
had sat and slept for years was found
a tintype of the young mans mother.
It was in a cardboard box, and in the
handwriting Of the father were few
lines explaining the identity of the pic
ture and adding that it was 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
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 a
fraud. Simpleton Pete had plugged
away at getting out gravel, but had
met with loan 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 a crowd. He
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 $4,000 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 friumnh-a1 b11+ ono of +bo