The herald., 1912-10-24
1.-THE SIGN OF
THE FOUR"
By Nj. QUAD
Copyright. 1912. by Associated Lit
erary Press.
By Nj. QUAD

roads. lnere was Time NhCh "
guide post was set up there, and for
years it pointed the way to the towns
of Millville, Goshen, Akron and Sc
vile respectively. There could be no
mistake on the part of one who could
read. Perhaps it was fifteen years
that the guide post did service, never
once sending any traveller to Goshen
who wanted to go to Akron. and then
a high wind blew it down.
The nearest farmer when the post
went down and lot of schOolboys
kicked the signs about was a Mr..
Gray. He was half a mile away. and
vet from n dozen to a score of travel
ers drove up to his gate each day to
ask what road TO take to this town or
that. Not so many came at night, but
always enough to wake him up three
or four times. At first every inquirer
received a kind answer. but the thing
became monotonous, and there were
rows. Farmer Gray could have
brought back peace and good will by
a few hours work. but the average
farmer is working for himself and not
for the county. In a year he got so
mad that he sold his farm and moved
away.
Farmer Cherry found himself both
cred just as much.
And then what did Farmer Cherry
do? Why, he got bright idea and
paid a sign painter Sc to help him car
~ it out. He put up on the four cor
ners a sign reading that he would an
swer no questions, day or night. and
that the travelling public must beware
of his savage dog. The sign cost
enough to replace the guidepost. but
what Of it? 1t kept some people away
from the farm. but others drove boldly
up to the gate and shouted out:
"Say. you with the crouch. what
road do take to go to GoshenF
same one you take to so to hades!
would be the reply.
oh, yes; there were more fights and
black eyes and lawsuits and fines, and
after awhile some one tore down the
sign and carried it away. Then Farm
er Cherry sold out TO Farmer Green.
Mr.. Green. who had studied law for
three months in his young days. at
once gave out that he did not propose
to stand any nonsense from the public.
After four weeks he began four differ
ent lawsuits against the four officials
who were derelict about that guide
post. They were not made terribly
anxious. 1t was the duty Of their re-
spective counties to defend them, and
the counties did So At least the suits
were put on the waiting list and are
there yet
When Farmer Green saw that the
law wasn't going to defend him he
fenced In the highway approaching his
| farm, and for this he was arrested and
! fined $50. Then he set his bulldog on
an inquirer and had to pay 500 TO set
| tie the case. Then he sold out. This
was the third sale of the farm. and it
had deprecated over $1,000. Every
body said 1t was a sad case, but that's
| all the consolation there was in 1t.
| The fourth purchaser was widow
from Indiana. She had heard all about
the case, but she winked her left eye
and remarked that she didn't think the
public would bother her very much aft
or she got started. She had a little
scheme she thought would work nicely
For a month after the widow took
possession she hired boy to sit at her
gate and answer all questions, and she
came In for lots Of praise for this
Then her little scheme was sprung.
From the printer she got fifty red pla-
cards. reading:
stop! Smallpox
These signs went up between the
farmhouse and the four corners, and
they created CONSERVATION. They did
not say whether the smallpox was at
the house or beyond. but they surely
stopped and then turned around and
made off. One traveller seemed to post
another. and at the end Of a week the
farmhouse was left in peace for the
first time in years. Very cute widow
from Indiana, but she didn't know
splinters about law. A complaint was
made, she was arrested, and before
she got through with that little scheme
she was 500 out of pocket. She was
crying over it one day and wishing
she had a purchaser for the farm
when a benevolent looking old man
came along. He didn't ask how far II
was to Goshen, but If she could spare
him a glass Of buttermilk. She could
and did, and as he slipped 1t she told
him the sad story Of the guide post
and the farm.
'Why, can fix that all right" he
replied after listening to the particu
lars.
"But how?"
"Why, I'll have a new guide post put
up there and take my pay in butter
milk at cents a glass"
But it'll take years to get your
pay"
"Oh. don't worry about that"
1t cost the benevolent old gent ar
even $40 to get a gorgeous guide pos
put up at the four corners, and it:
praises floated over half the state
Men came and offered the widow 81.
600 more than she had paid for the
farm, and everything was running
along smoothly when the four coun
ties decided that no unauthorized per
son had right to put up tie post ant
| IL was taken down and carried off lpav