The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-03-27
THAT GOLD
MINE
By M. QUAD
Copyright, 1910, by Associated Lit.
erary Press

the same:
"Waal, some folks are born that way
and can't help it,"
On portion of Abners farm was a
range of hills. 1t was limestone
ridge, but there was a legend that gold
had been found there years before
nugget of gold as big as a teacup.
That legend never died. When other
news was scarce it was brought to the
front, and it was generally believed in.
Abners grandfather had meant to open
the hills some day In search of other
nuggets. So had his father. So had
he. The trouble was to find time.
There were blowing and dragging and
planting and hoeng aud reaping. and
he never got day to himself
The widow begN to poke at him rs
soon as married, but 1t did no good.
She would 60 on to tell how many tons
Of gold were probably hidden away in
those hills and how, If dug out. they
could have the clock cleaned, new
door to the shed and the cellar stairs
repaired.
"l'l get around to 1t some day,
Sarah" he would reply.
But why not tomorrow"
"Mebbe can"
But he didn't His farm work inter.
fered AS he finished his morning
meal the wife would say:
Now, Abncr, that gold niue today.
You can dig half a ton Of il rs well as
not and we need new hatirons and
a dashboard"
Eyes. ! know"
AS the day passed and he sat down
to supper she would ask
dig any gold today, Abner?''
"Nope. had other things to see to-"
OF course the gold mine legend was
gossip for many miles around. Once
q month ut least some one came along
and wanted to dig on shares. They
would see the wife first and she would
readily agree. All she wanted was
that lawyer should draw up the
agreement so that it would hold wa
ter. She had been cheated by light
ming rod man once and she didn't pro
pose to be anybody's victim again.
She kept corner Of the cellar cleaned
out to store the gold in, but 1t was
never used. The stranger would go
down into the field and talk with All
ner and after he had wlnded himself
he would hear the farmer say:
These taters has got TO be hoed, and
you come around some other time"
"But don't you want to be rich
MANI"
at would be kinder nice"
you could 30 to Europe"
"Yaas."
you could build fine house and
have your carriage and servants"
II see"
perhaps you'd be elected governor
"Shoo."
"And I'll have lawyer draw UP the
contract ard bring it here tomorrow IL
be signed. Digging will begin at once.
Within a week.
Eyes, I know, but these taters"-
1t was always so. and when A5ncr
scuffed up to the house at shutdown it
was to find his wife In the sulks or ID
tears, and she generally ended up
with:
"And IL you don't 60 to digging the
first thing In the morning Will"
Think of it-fifteen years of Pooling
and not a hole made in the hillside.
The ex-widow must have been pc
tlent, determined woman TO stand r.
But stand 1t she did. She would con.
quer or die. One day. after her many
disappointments, she fell I'LL The doc .
tor pronounced 1t typhoid fever, and
she became very sick woman. At
times when she was out Of her head
she would babbe about that gold
mine. At length, to prevent further
worry, the NJ. u. advised Abner to 60
to digging and ease the mind of the
patient.
"But I've got TO pillow out corn tomor
row." was protested.
"Never mind your corn You get Il
couple of men and open those hills or
youth soon be a widower"
"Do you think it'll be safe to have
several tons Of gold aroundg''
quite so. When call again ! want
to see you at work"
In lucid interval the patient was
told that digging was TO begin. She
was very i'll, but she braced up enough
to say:
Tell Abner that II he finds any Old
plow points or wagon tires miycd Ur
with the gold to throw EN- one side
He's an awfully careless man"
Abner and his hired man dug and
dug and dug. They dug here and they
dug there. and people came for ten
miles around to see them throw on,
shovels OF gold But there was no
gold. There was neither gold ror sill.
yer nor copper nor iron. There was
limestone, but nothing clse-nothiuc
but az petrlied hickory ax handle.
When this was found the patient had
passed the crisis of her fever and wl4
Intending. Abner wns permitted 20 20
TO her bedside and exhibit his fnc
what Is IT." she asked.
"A petritied Ak handle"
Didn't you find the pctr!lieo III
blade to go with it?''
"Nope."