The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1912-03-14
The Half Fool
By M. QUAD
Copyright, 1911, By Associated Lit
erary Press.


young man Of about twenty four and
was stout and lusty. About all that he
had to say was that he was looking
for work, and he found it at the livery
stable. He was given work at $40 a
month, which the stableman had been
paying double that to have done. but
he had said to Abner:
you see, you may run across a bur-
led treasure, and If you do it's all
yours"
He worked for the nveryman for two
months, and then, having found no
treasure, he decided to quit his job.
There was rush to secure his serv-
ices. He was a good worker, and he
could be had at half price He put in
month at the village tavern, and as
the treasure still eluded him he en-
gagged himself to Deacon Spinney.
The deacon had a talk with Abner
He was not going to deceive the man
in the least.
"Abner." he said, in his slow and
honest way, II have got ten acres in
corn"
Eyes, sir"
II want to hire you to attend to
them"
'Do you think the British buried any
gold in that fieldY' was asked.
"Um! / can't say. Folks are saying
that they buried gold somewhere
around here. 1t might have been in
my cornfeld, and it might not. If you
want 40 cents a day and board till that
corn is shelled you can go ahead"
But I must be looking for buried
treasure while 1 work.
And I'll allow you to do that
"And If find box of gold?"
''It will be all yours-that is. half
Of it shall be yours"
But I want it all. Mr.. Jones, the
carpenter, wants me to go to work for
him. He says a carpenter often finds
buried treasure, and he always keeps
1t ALL"
well, I can afford to be as liberal
as Mr.. Jones. Go to work, Abner, and
make the dirt fly
The village was still keeping track
Of the half fool There was gen.
eral grin when it was known that he
had gone to work for Deacon Spinney.
Hoe away, Abner. You'll find that
box of gold before snow flies"
How deep do you suppose they
buried the box?" Abner would ask in
a whisper.
About two feet. You see. General
Washington was hot on their trail and
shooting them in the back, and they
wouldn't have time to dig more than
two feet"
And how much gold would there be
in the boxT
lat least $4,000 and maybe double
that. The British were mighty mean
about some things. but when they
buried their gold they heaped up the
measure"
"All right. I'll be looking for that
box every day"
Abner had been working In that
cornfield for ten days and doing two
mems work in one when Deacon Spin
ney found his conscience troubling
him. He therefore walked down to
the field to say:
"Abner, I think I ought to tell you
that l don't believe the British ever
buried any gold herea bout. I can't
find in history that there were ever
any British soldiers as far west as
this
$50 you are going back on your
word" asked the hired man.
"Well, n-n-no. but want you to I'm
derstand that l don't believe there is
any treasure here. It's 40 cents a
day"
But I'm to have all the treasure
find?"
Exactly"
Then it's all right?'
"But I'd like to have you tell people
that l don't believe there Is any treas
ure here"
81 will"
Abner kept his promise. When ask
= ed about his wages he would reply:
Its 40 cents a day and board and
lodgings and all the treasure find"
There are people yet in Medina who
will tell you that ON the afternoon of
the seventeenth day of corn hoeing
Abner Taylor was seen jumping up
and down and, running about and
swinging his arms Those who saw
him from a distance did not go near
him, thinking he had been attacked by
bumblebees No inhabitant Of the vii
lage saw him drop from his window
that night and head for the cornield
on the run nor return four hours lat
er. 1t was the same next night, and
on the morning after Abner said to the
deacon:
81 have found the treasure and am
going away"
What whatr' exclaimed the dea-
con. You say you have found some
thingr'
Eyes, box Of gold"
"In my cornfeld?'
Eyes"
"How much"
''Half a bushel or so. ! couldn't lift