The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-06-16
The Price Of a
Week $ Board
BY RUTH GRAHAM

lois out into tile wild west. There b
wandered about, making living u
pest he could, but there was little 70
lin to do, except kill the animals o
he wilderness either for their mea
ir their skins. During his wandering
Tom married the daughter OF a settle
who had come from Ohio. She wishe,
o get back to that state as much al
Ter husband wanted TO return to Hi
lois. But instead OF drifting eastward
hey drfted farther westward, for al
civilization encroached upon them tn,
Wild animals. by which Tom made {
living. became scarce, and they were
obliged to find new hunting grounds.
SO at last they found themselves in
gulch where game was plenty and
leighbors We're few. 1t was a desc
ate life, especially for the woman
Tom offered to take his wife east, but
The knew he had never fitted himself
preferred to remain where they were
ather than run the risk of starving In
Ter former home.
One day man came trudging up the
Isulch and, stopping ut the Burns cab
II, asked Mrs. Burns IL he could be
accommodated for short time. She
odd him that her husband would be
home soon and then she could give
IN answer The stranger said he
Hould pay well for his board When
Tom returned II was agreed between
him and his wife that they would take
be stranger in, though there was only
me room In the cabin. and they were
! Ill obliged to sleep In the same room,
| iivided into two parts by a curtain.
| The man went out every morning
prospecting for something-he didn't
lay what-and every night returned to
he cabin. He remained with the
Burns couple week, then said to
hem:
I'm going away from here, and /
amt pay you any board. have been
This region that is very valuable. Had
found It could have paid you thou
sands of dollars for my keep. As it is
I can't pay you anything"
That's all right. stranger" said
John. I'VE wouldn't have felt war
ranted in charging you over 81 any
way, so 1t doesn't matter much"
ut matters more to me than to you.
II may be that I've missed the deposit
i've been looking for. and some day
r1, ctttrr IA In tftU nr1ft
recognize 1t IL you do. I'm going to
cave you some chemicals. and IL you
ever come across the article / refer to
md mix ii with the chemicals and burn
The compound it will give a green
lame"
He gave them some idea Of what the
substance looked like in its crude form
Ind, pouring the chemicals from bis
stock into bottles left them with him,
with his address. telling them If they
ever found the article TO write him
md he would make them rich.
A month passed after the strangers
departure and the Burnses would have
almost forgotten his coming had 1t not
Teen for the bottles he had left them
hat stood in the cupboard. One day |
md the region thereabout, went down
o its mouth and, rounding a mountain
pur, entered valley. He encounter
d trapper, who told him that moth
ng could live there. not even animals,
nd there was no use for him to try to
ct any game there. So desolate was
he place that it was called Death
alley. John had heard of 1t and con-
luded to have look at II before go
lg home. So he wandered about in it,
Tc hadn't gone far before he saw
catered about a substance that an
wered the description his boarder had
iven him. He gathered some OF 1t
nd took 1t home with him.
After supper, while his wife was
-ashing the dishes, re took a piece /,
the substance he had brought from
cath valley aud. putting 1t in tin
IN. poured the chemicals over II and
t fire to ii. As he did so his wife
iused in wiping dish and watched J
IN. As the fame burst forth the two !
oked at each other with surprise and /
easure.
1t burned green.
The couple talked that night over
irious plans to secure what value
ere might be In their find TO them !
Ives. They thought of presenting !
aim for the ground where they had :
und the substance. but realized that I
ey were too poor and too ignorant D
the subject TO handle IL themselves. j
they wrote TO their lodger that they C
ought they had found what he had n
en- looking for. He came to see them. :.
ID john showed him a specimen Of =
$ find and also that IL burned green. L
le stranger uttered an exclamation a
delight
That is borax.r he said. used for
ishing purposes in every household In
America"
he told John that If he would tell
m where IL lay he would form a
npauy 10 take the ground work it
d would give John half of all he
lde out of II himself John accept
his proposition. and an agreement
IS written out and signed by both &C.
-ding TO the terms.
[ turned out the stranger had a large
rax company behind him with I'M
lifted capital. A company was form
and he rafninad ~ rer rant of the II