Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-09-22
T h 9 u a ily
Short Story
BREAD cASr IRON THE WATERS
Bv James Coolidge

In The Arabian Nights Entertain
ments a book that has delighted mil
+ lions of people both old and young Is
story Of how Sindbad the Sailor was
required 10 take an old man on mis-
shoulders and carry aim across a
stream When the old man was Sc
CurelV fixed in his position he refused
to get down. and Sindbad was obliged
70 bear the burden indefinitely. I am
reminded by this story Of the Ola
Man Of the Sea of something similar
that happened TO me when 7 was a
Young man
Before setting down 70 my profes-
sion. having put aside enough MONEY
70 spend few months I'm Europe
went abroad The sum wac only $500
and I was obliged no piece IL ou bv
doing a good deal Of walking One dav
7 was trudgfuE along through the Tn
gadina when 7 overlook a man who
for some reason was having q hard
time to get on When came up VITA
him I babe him good morning and
asked him If 7 could be of any as
sistance to him.
you might help me along 20 the
next hotel" he said Its only about
n mile
I took his arm. and as we walked
SLOWLY on he told me that he was
Enoch Crane, an American He had
long been ailjHg. and his doctor had
sent him abroad He, like myself
vas walking because he couldn't az
ford 10 ride When we got 20 the inn
I took him TO q room and helped him
to bed-a bed from which b q was 5ss-
tined never to arise He was very ilI
IN the night and I sat with him till
near morning.
20 lose I proposed after breakfast 10
proceed on my journey, but Mr. Grams
begged me DO pitifuliy not % desert
q fellow countrvman among strangers
that 7 agreed to remain with hin an
other day At the end Of that day I
vas constrained to remain another
and another till found the time al
Iotted for my travels slipping awav
from me and I taking care of g sick
man in q little Swiss inn.
II this way the whole time Z had
laid out for my trip passed and the
tine for nae TO 20 home arrived. The
old man vas sinking rapidly. and the
village doctor told him that he had
better prepare his affairs for q Jour
ner to another world. Then Mir Crane
called me to his bedside and said 20
me-
You tell me you are going home.
7 beg of YOU not to leave my body ~
this faraway land, but to take it with
you I have expected to die over here
and have made every provision. hsv-
ing inquired the cost of removal In
every particular. You will ind exact
ly the amount in my wallet under my
pillow Take my body 20 B.. in r.
county in Massachusetts. and about a
mile north Of the village on The r.
turnpike is a lot 40 feet square I'M
closed with stones taken of the
ground. I'm the center is a space
marked bt four posts. where the grave
is to be located. This lis not all
want won So be custodian of nay grave
Send for a notary and I will draw up
a paper transferring the lot to you
with everything it contains, which eff
course, is my body
What q situation My trip spoiled.
Obliged to go home in company and
IN care of the corpse Of the man who
had spoiled IL and my pay was Plot
Of ground not worth $50. which after
ali. ] must hold for a grave. Never
theIsss I consented. 7 cannot claim
that Z did If solely from kindly mo-
dVes. Enocb Crane possessed a sin
guar influence over me.
When MIR Crane died possessed
myself Of his wallet. which in add
for expenses figured down to the clos
est possible amount. II struck ne
that he must have been afraid would
reap q few dollars out Of the trans
action II paid the way exactly and
/ expended the last dollar In having
-ha body transferred to the grave
had promised Mr.. Crane that I would
see the grave dug, the body lowered
and the earth put back all under nay
rr44a 4r.s.g g-.4- 4g
must pay for my own carriage. Glad
3f the prospect Of getting the dis
agreeable matter of my hand. Z se-
cured two men with the necessary ina
3lements and was soon standing be-
side them as thew dug the grave be-
.Weeu the posts Crane had described
They had gone down about four feet
when one of them threw up a tin box
took charge Of it. but since ir was
ocked 7 was obliged 20 wait my re-
-uTn TO the village before examining
r. I presumed IT. to he another wh.m
u the man who was being buried. /
lad d mind to sink &c. tearing it in
soived some new obligation ou ms
part
Having kept my promise 10 she let
aF. ] drove back 30 the village and
za+linE for q room in the little hotel
proceeded 70 open the box 10 con-
AIMED number of envelopes FROM
he <tOpmost I drew a paper IL re-
counted the wrongs hesped upon En-
sch Crane by his relatiVes-he had no
wife or child-and their heartiessnes5
n permitting him 70 go abroad alone
u search OF health. The next EN-
.eIope contained q paper willing tine
contents of the box 10 the owner OK
he lo iu which it was found THE
-ema5niug envelopes contained etoga5
md bonds worth $4,000
IT was some time before Z could u1-
lerstand Thar Iu twjnkAnE I had
ONE into possession OF fortune
7his as owing DO nay being dazed for
lever was there a clearer case
'wuea the lot. and the owner Of ,n0
OF owned the property found in H.
5efore leaving America the Invalid
lad arranged 10 reward any friend he
night find