The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-04-28
The Price Of a
Week S Board
By RUTH GRAHAM

best he could. but there was little for
him to do. except kill the animals Of
the wilderness either for their meat
or their skins. During his wanderings
Tom married the daughter of settler
who had come from Ohio. She wished
to get back to that state as much as
her husband wanted to return to ILL
nois. But instead Of drifting eastward
they drifted farther westward, for US
civilization encroached upon them the
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
a gulch where game was plenty and
neighbors were few. 1t was a DESC
late life. especially for the woman.
Tom offered to take bis wife east. but
she knew he had never fitted himself
for the work to be done there. and she
preferred to remain where they were
rather than run.the risk Of starving In
her former home.
One day a man came trudging up the
gulch and. stopping at the Burns cab.
d6keu nlI0. DuCu0 II TIC COuIu OC
accommodated for short time. She
told him that her husband would be
home soon and then she could give
an answer. The stranger said he
would pay well for his board. When
Tom returned 1t was agreed between
him and his wife that they would take
the stranger In. though there was only
one room in the cabin. and they were
all obliged to sleep In the same room.
divided into two parts by curtain.
The man went out every morning
prospecting for something-he didn't
say what-and every night returned to
the cabin. He remained with the
Burns couple week. then said to
them:
I'm going away from here, and
can't pay you any board. have been
told that an article Is to be found in
this region that is very valuable. Had
l found 1t could have paid you thou.
sands Of dollars for my keep. As 1t il
I can't pay you anything"
f, That's all right. stranger" said
John. I'VE wouldn't have felt war
ranted In charging you over 81 any.
way, 80 1t doesn't matter much"
ut matters more to me than to you.
1t may be that I've missed the deposit
I've been looking for. and some day
you may stumble on It But you won't
recognise 1t II you do. I'm going to
leave you some chemicals. and II you
ever come across the article refer to
and mix It with the chemicals and burn
the compound 1t will give q green
fame"
He gave them some idea Of what the
substance looked like In its crude form
and. pouring the chemicals from bis
stock into bottles. left them with him.
with bis address. telling them II they
ever found the article to write him
and be would make them rich.
A month passed after the strangers
| departure and the Burnses would have
almost forgotten his coming had 1t not
been for the bottles he had left them
that stood in the cupboard One day
John, Instead Of hunting In the gulch
and the region thereabout. went down
to its mouth and. rounding q mountain
spur. entered q valley. He encounter
ed q trapper. who told him that moth
ing could live there. not even animals.
and there was no use for him to try 10
get any game there. So desOlate was
the place that 1t was called Death
valley. John had heard Of It and con-
cluded to have q look at II before 60
ing home. So he wandered about In It
! He hadn't gone far before he saw
scattered about q substance that an
swered the description his boarder had
eiven him. He gathered some Of it
and took It home with him
After supper, while his wife waa
washing the dishes, he took q piece
of the substance he had brought from
Death valley and, putting It In tin
pan, poured the chemicals over It and
set FIRE to it As he did 90 bis wife
paused In wiping a dish and watched
him. As the flame burst forth the two
looked at each other with surprise and
pleasure.
It burned green
The couple talked that night ovei
various plans to secure what value
there might b In their ind to them
ssIyea They thought Of presenting
claim for the ground where they had
ouund ths substance. bat realised thai
they were too poor and TOO iSnosan
a n szh1sct n handlA II thnmnalxae