Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-05-01

of this he pressed steadily on, stop
ping now and then to note the direc-
ton of the now oft repeated cry.
He noticed, too, that he was in the
deep woods, a portion of which
seemed utterly strange to him.
At last he reached the place and
! by the aid of the lantern discerned
an animal which seemed to glow as
it twisted and writhed in agony.
Setting down his lantern he man
aged to gel firm grasp on the lively
animal whose snarls had never ceas-
| ed. After a hasty examination, made
difficult by the squirming creature,
he found it to be a wildcat, which
had been caught in one of his traps,
and had dragged itself into the
denser woods. Mercifully putting the
creature out of its sufferings, and
having again gained the main road,
he started briskly for home. His
hands were bleeding, his clothes
were torn, his coat and boots We're
drenched with water, and above all
he was extremely hungry.
Though he walked fast, he thought
over what had just happened. All
of sudden the thought came to him
that he had at last solved the mys-
terry of the wandering light. This
| light which people had seen and
feared, was nothing less than an ami
NAL, which, coming in contact with
a PHOSPHORUS substance, showed
only at night, as it roamed across
the fields.
Finally he came in sight of the
cleaning windows of the old house,
and was soon within it's comfortable
doors, to find his father placidly
smoking his pipe by the glowing fire.
AS he told his story and his theory
of the phantom light his father
smiled indulgently, while his mother
poured out his coffee and dished up
the hot supper she had kept waiting
for him.
The next morning as soon as he
could slip away he was off for the
woods. After great deal of trou-
BILE in getting through the thick
brush, he at last came upon the spot
where the dead wild cat lay.
Close by was partly decayed
tree stump. In his endeavor to get
better view of his captured prize,
/ for a bounty was given on wildcats,
his foot struck against the stump,
close to the roots. A bit of the de-
cayed wood crumbled away and
Johns keen eye detected something
bright and shiny. With his pocket
knife he cut away enough of the
wood to enable him to force his hand
through the opening. He pulled and
pried and jerked, till with one final
groan the box was wrested from its
at the cover; its rusty hinges soon
gave way and-there was the buried
money!
1t took him a full minute to COM
prehend his good fortune. But when
he did he neither stopped for his
knife or his cap, which had fallen
off unnoticed in his excitement He
started to run, he stumbled, he fell,
got up, fell again, but pressed dog
gedly on till he sank breathless and
exhausted upon the kitchen floor at
his mothers feet. The good lady,
who had been browsing over her
knitting, startled, thought her son
suddenly bereft of his senses.
After much questioning and eX-
planning the story was told. Great
was the rejoicing in the humble
home that night. 1t was not an inn
mense fortune, but enough to keep
the little family happy and coy for
the rest Of their days.
Incredulous neighbors gathered
there to hear the story and catch a
glimpse of the wonderful box before
the tale could be given credit.
Was it an accident that caused
John to thus discover the hidden
money, and clear up the story of the
mysterious light? Or was it really
Spirit? Perhaps it was the Spirit
Of Mercy in the boys own kind heart
that led him to the aid of a poor,
suffering dumb animal Who knows