The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-01-12

!
/ friends and relatives could not be noti-
l. fed, but they were evidently on the watch
as to his movements. Whether 1t was
something he had written back to his
/ folks his failure to write only be
surm!sed It q fact, though, that
! within ten days after the interment two
well dressed, dark skinned men with the
same high <cheekbones and other facial
| blenishes and straight backs came and
| put up at the hotel
They could not hide the excitement they
! were in They spent, the days .nosing about
| in the mountains and the nights confab-
| bling together in their room Sometimes
| they would get the proprietor. Of the hotel
/ to tell them exactly what the dead man
had mumbled in his deliriun.
As you and your gentle readers may
| well imagine, the whole matter got In
| fernent in the neighborhood Nothing
else was talked Of at the Preside. in the
field office or place of business.
The Indian fellows that had come seem
| ed to gt~e ,pp,1 or pretended to give up. for
| they went their way as silently and mys-
| teriously they had arrived. But what
happened after they left?
| With all the lynx eyed ability of their
| forefathers they had overlooked a thing
that a little boy, the twelve-year-oId son
| of one of our most highly esteemed farm
ers, discovered, by bare accident when he
had his pas shotgun out hunting yester-
day. He ran across a big, fat sided
bowlder Of gray limestone a mile or SO
| from town facing due east. On 1t were
| some letters that had evidently been made
| by the dead man with a brush and oil
paint They were fully six inches in size
and, while washed with the plenteouG rains
which have recently fallen, were distinct
ly discernib1e. They were: -
T. D. @. A. G. M. E. IS. M. s. D.
The boy happened to relate his discov-
cry to his pa in the presence of our es-
teemed town clerk and others, and you
promulgated Needless to say, the spot
was promptly visited by everybody who
could possibly climb the rugged sleeps and
cross the yawntng canyons intervening be-
tween EIktown and that Interesting goal.
| Your correspondent happened to be among
the first to view with his own eyes the
discovery, and he, for one, makes bold
| to say positively that the dying stranger
who passed into the vast unknown with
sealed lips with his own hand painted the
letters on the rock as a landmark to guide
him back to the hidden treasure.
Such excitement has never been known
since Lees surrender.
i beg leave to sign myself, respectfully
/ and admiringiy yours,
THOMAS T. KEITH.
"Ain't that a stunner?'' Abner asked,
as he finished reading. 81 don't know
what Keith he is, but he must be some
kin o. old Uncle Tommy Keith ever
| thar. The Keiths in that section are as
thick as flies in August
s'Now,b I'VE must git to work an set
this up in type. Put the biggest head
lines on it you possibly kin get up, and,
above all, NUNS the word. The news
may reach barley overland before our
paper is out, but we'll hope not It
would tickle me the best in the world
i to see the folks openin' the New Clar-
ion tomorrow an runnin' across an
| item like that just as eff sech news was
an everyday matter with u.s.
Howard was about to reply when he
was arrested by step on the stairs,
and Frank Raymond entered. 81 have
| a political item for you,' he said. 81
| have just heard it from a reliable
/ source. Henry w. Potion has come
out in the governors race and will
make a strong candidate 1t will be
important news for southern dailies 1
| have just wired it to Atlanta, Charles
ton, New Orleans, Chattanooga and
Nashville, under a new arrangement 1
i have made for special news"
i you can pick up good many items
/ now and them Abner eyed Howard
furtively, his lips curving in a triun-
Il plant smile 1--WE are much obliged
| for telling US about Potion, an I wish
we was in the shape to do you a like
favor. Now and then big item falls
on weekly like our'n, but, as you kin
well see, we couldn't afford to divide
with the big dailies. You see, the At
Ianta papers will be on the streets here
can get ours wrapped and distributed.
+ We are in this thing for all thar is in
it, an we don't want to. print stale
news if fresh variety lies ready at
hand
Raymond whistled softly. ''I catch
on,' he said, with a smile. 'EYou have
some news now. can tell by the way
you chuckle, Uncle Alb. Say, don't you
think you could tip me off ~
'fNot on this, Frank Abner shook
his head firmly. I'm sorry, but this
: thing is our special pie. If it was a
little squib like the one you have
handed US it would be different, but
this-oh, just wait till you see the New
: Clarion in the morninH 1 don't know
but what we may git some boys to
yell it out as an extra at 5 cents a
copy"
ST call that dog mean, Uncle Abb
Raymond laughed good naturally, "an6
II you will feel bad if I hold back &
piece of news from you some day. 81
long. 7 must 60" N -
> At the foot of the stairs Raymond
r met Pole Baker going up.
els Uncle Alb up thar?" Pole asked.
yes. I've just left him. Want t.
! see him?''
l "Yes. You remember I told yo1
7 about the fuss betwixt Howard an
! Fred Graig?''
Yes, and it made me anxious, for
s saw him down the street this morning
We must keep the two apart. There
: will be trouble if they meet
5 THAT is what 1 want to see Uncl
|, Alb about" Pole went on. "He's wor
ried, too, and I can set his mind a
: rest for few days anyway. Graf:
c has just gone to Nashville His siste
ia sick and feIpCPa15hpd him tn com,