The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1911-04-27
with nothin' to gain and all to

with something valuable on EN-"
'The goods would have been con-
fiscated by the government"
"And you wouldn't get any Of 1t?'
mo"
'"That's a kind of a heads I lose,
tails you win business, isn't it?''
''Mebbe So"
That night Patience Whipple said
that little Billy seemed croupy and
she would sleep with him in a room
by themselves, while the father slept
in the room with the little girl. Jere-
miah awoke in the morning, evidently
feeling very comfortable.
wife, he said, chow good it makes
a man feel to do kind act. I went to
sleep last night thinkin' O. that poor
Teller that let bury his wife, and
was thankful that I'd taken the risk
and given him the satisfaction O. keep.
in his promise"
You surely took big risk, jerry"
replied the wife with a yawn.
Didn't you sleep well last night?"
he asked.
and coughin' all night"
Sorry" remarked the husband sym.
pathetically.
After breakfast, when Jerry went
down to his Office, he noticed some
loose earth on the knoll where the
burial had taken place the day before.
He went up there and discovered that
fho RI 1,0%
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 smugglers!''
"What makes you think SOP" asked
the wife.
'"The grave has been robbed 1t was
a 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 collector
for spell you won't get taken in so
easy"
Nobody but you and me knows any.
thing about it," rejoined Jerry thought
fully. II must go right out and fill
up the grave. wouldn't have the Sc
cret get out for a thousand dollars"
Taking shovel, he went out to the
knoll, glanced about to see if 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 slickest trick I ever heard Of
wonder Patience didn't get on to it.
She is generally pretty wide awake,
but this time they caught her nappin'
as we'll as me-"
"Patience," he said, IT wish we'd "a
got on to those fellers. I might "a got
some promotion"
Il 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 neighboring city
to visit 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 whole day.
The next morning Whipple received
document with the United States
treasury departments official stamp,
dismissing him from his Office
II 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
IepOIteu IL, Jerry.
"You?"
Eyes,
Il saw through that snivelin' mourn
er at once. He overdid his cryin. AS
soon as you were in bed that night
went out with spade and dug up the
Dox. 1t was so light that l knew it
didn't contain a body. 1 carried it to
the old boathouse and hid it up in one
of the rottin' boats The next day
went and opened it and found it full
of laces and jewels. l wrote letter
to the government under an assumed
name, tellin' them that I knew where
Struggled goods were hidden and
would tell them if they would give me
half. They agreed, and l met them
yesterday and took them to the goods.
They valued them at over $4,000 and
offered me 100000 down to settle.
took it, and here's the check"
She held United States treasury
check before his astonished eyes.
When he had recovered something of