Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1916-07-07

NDHlI anu ANNbNNN Asr fHWFNf -
old hickory tree around which they
had played In boyhood days, for Crab
point, deserted now, had once been the
site Of little hamlet now efraeed by
the prosperous village Of Punderson'
Many tumbledown houses and weed
grown cellars betrayed the site OF the
abandoned hamlN,
The pudding stone" was another IA
millar object, aud around Crab point
itself chung many traditions OF that
genial pirate Red Pepper, who had
walked the plank Of his own ship with
a Joke on his lips aud went 10 death
without betraylng the secret OF his
hidden treasure,
"To think Of 1t being under that old
stone all these years" maryelcd Ferdie
Pratt AZ he prled at the stone with the
iron bar, while the captain leaned on
the spade aud directed operations,
"IIaf and half-share and share
alike" encouraged Captain Ham ah
Ferdle persplred nc his task
"You might share some Of the work.
grumbed FerdIe,
The captain stirred and thrust the
blade Of his spade under the stone
"Ieave no" he roared heartily,
The old pudding stone lifted reluc'
tanty from It's black, moldy bed OF
earth. with crash OF broken under
brush II rolled away, leaving n deep
lndcntatlon in the ground.
"The rest Is easy" commented the
captain, and fell TO work
Fcrdlc Pratt, fred 10y the same en-
thusasm, fell 10 with the iron bar and
II was not long before their ears were
reJolccd by the musical clank of metal
on metal
Great smoke! It's here" triumph
ed the captain.
They fell upon their knees and grub
bed IN the dirt with their bare hands
At last they brought TO light II small
Iron bound box, long and narrow in
shape.
"'Talnt so mortal heavy" comment
ed Ferdie as they sat down on the
ground with the box between them.
"Maybe it's all in precious stones
They wouldn't weigh much,' reassur
ed the captain, prying ut the lid with
the blade Of his knife, BLAINE II all,
there goes my best blade!
you can buy hundred jackknives
after you open that box comforted
Ferdle. "llcrc, Ham; try mine. III
risk breaking It for handful of dia'
monds and emeralds."
The stouter blade released the rusted
lock Of the buried chest, and the lid
creaked upward and displayed to the
avaricious eyes Of the two men a care
fully smoothed covering Of yellowed
linen, to which was sewed white
card.
With goggling eyes Ferdie Pratt read
the inscription on the card;
Here lies the mortal remains OF Ara
minta Agatha Alice, most beloved child
OF lpT ululCltu IluNhtl' i$Nhti" N''N"
Biddle. Aug. 49, 1854"
Captain Ham snatched away the lin
en- covering and discovered the primly
disposed body Of an ancient wooden
doll of a much earlier generation Ara
minta Agatha Alice had been buried
In her best green silk dress with a
white silk bonnet shading her painted
Sinking features
The treasure hunters stared at the
doll with growing indignation.
"Who," breathed Ferdle Pratt at
last, "who in bazes is Ietitia Smith
BiddleT'
Captain Ham mopped his forehead
and swallowed with difficulty.
1 Said he in husky tone, full Of hid
den menace, "Letitia Smith Biddle is
now Lefty Tadskate."
Ferdie Pratt gasped like fish.
4 "And that's how you happened to
find the map in her workbox. Why,
Ham, she put 1t there herself to re-
member the place where she buried
her favorite doll. I've heard Of girls
burying their dolls when they get too
old to play with 'em any more. What
you going to do-put 1t backT
! For answer Captain Ham Tadskate
replaced the linen covering over the
smirking face Of Araminta Agatha
! Alice, closed the lid of the box and
dropped 1t back into the hole. They
scraped in the soil and rolled the "pud'
ding stone" back into its old bed.
Captain Ham wiped the blood from
long scratch received among the
briery underbrush and shouldered his
spade,
81 reckon we can get home just in
time for tea" he said briefly.
Lefty Tadskate was standing in the
porch when her husband rolled weari-
~ up the front walk.
"Ham," she said, when you mended
my workbox did you find bit OF
paper in the false bottom?"
IL forgot to put 1t back. It's here"
equivocated the captain as he meekly
took 1t from his pocket,
"'Tain't anything important, only l
missed it." said Lefty vivaciously.
"The workbox is fine, Ham. Thank
you for mending It"
"There wasn't much the matter with
it anyway" growled the captain as he
A,,, IoI l.. H., hosin