The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1912-03-22
The Half Fool
By M QUAD
Copyright. 1911. by Associated Lit
erary Press.
By M. QUAD

One day when Abner Gray appeared
b the village Of Medina for the first |
time the first citizen he met sized him
up for q half fool. He appeared to be
. young man Of about twenty -four and
was stont 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:
'sYou see, you may run across bur-
led treasure. and II you do it's all
yours"
He worked for the liveryman for two
months, and then. having found no
treasure. he decided to quit his job.
There was a rush to secure his serv-
ices. He was a good worker, and he
could be had at half price. He put in
q month at the village tavern, and as
the treasure still eluded him he en-
gagged himself to Deacon Spinney.
The deacon had talk with Abner.
Ac WAS uVl gums " OoScA'S sAAS $1,000
h the least.
| ~Abner," he said. in his slow and
honest way. Il have got ten acres in
corn
"Yes, sir"
| Il want to hire you to attend to
them"
"Do you think the British buried any
/ In that AnfA vroa okod
"Um! can't say. Folks arc saying
that they buried gold somewhere
around here 1t might have been in
my cornfield. and 1t might not. II you
want 40 cents day and board till that
corn is shelled you can 60 ahead"
But ! must be looking for buried
treasure while work."
land I'll allow you to do that"
.AAnd II l find 4 box Of goldr'
at win be all yours-that IL. half
Of it shall be yours"
'sBut l want It all. Mr.. Jones, tho
carpenter. wants me to 60 to work for
him. He says a carpenter often 6nds
buried treasure. and he always keeps
It ALL"
.sWell, can afford to be a. liberal
% Mr.. Jones' Go to work. Abner. and
make the dirt n.y."
Tho village was still keeping track
Of the half fool. There was gen
eral grin when 1t was known that he
had gone to work for Deacon Spinney.
and he was accosted on all sides with:
Hoe away. Abner. You'll find that
box of gold before snow dies"
How deep do you suppose they
buried the box7' Abner would ask In
. 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
b the box?"
AT 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
IAN right. I'll bs looking for that
box every day"
/. Abner had been working In that
: eornfield for ten days and doing two
ri mems work in one when Deacon Spin
ney found his conscience troubling
him. He therefore walked down to
the field to say:
AAbner. l think ought to tell you
that don't believe the British ever
buried any gold hereabout. ] can't
End in history that there were ever
any British soldiers as far west al
this
$50 you are going back on your
woryi?~ asked the hired man.
~Well. n-n-no. but want you to un
derstand that don't believe there Is
any treasure here. It's 40 cents 4
day"
ABut I'm to have all the treasure
6ndT'
II Exactly"
Then it's all right?'
Il .But I'd like to have you tell people
that don't believe there is any treas
ure here
II WILL
n Abner kept his promise. When ask
ed about his wages he would reply:
Ats 40 cents a day and board and
lodgings and all the treasure fnd."
II There are people yet in Medina wht
viii tell you that ON the afternoon o.
the seventeenth day Of corn hoeinl
Abner Taylor was seen jumping VI
and down and running about ant
swinging his arms Those who saw
him from a distance did not 60 nea
him. thinking he had been attacked b.
bumblebees. No inhabitant Of the vii
lage saw him drop from his window
that night and head for the cornflelt
on the run nor return four hours lat
er. 1t was the same next night. ant
= ON the morning after Abner said to tn
Il deacon:
II have found the treasure and an
in going away"
n. What. whatv' exclaimed the dea
nj ron ..You say Won have found some