The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-10-30
"a Freak of
Fortune
% @@ ,.-y
Copyright. 1918. by the Western News
paper Upion.l
BY RALPH HAMILTON

bur-" spoke pretty Erna Barton. ant
the somber face Of Wilbur Gray, EVIL
dencing q mood Of profound abstrac
ton. frightened up magically, as Fl
always did when this charming cir
was beside him.
"Am / sure of the compensation Of
fered?" challenged the young mar
lightly.
"Therel" and Erna pressed an old
battered copper coin into his hand
NOW confess, sir! Not only do re-
ward you with the conventional pen
ny, but present what may be rare
coin"
$50 rare and old that Its inscrlp'
ton is fairly undecipherable," replied
Wilbur. at seems to wear the green
and CRIME of the centuries"
II found It among lot Of relics OF
the olden. olden time that poor dear
grandfather so cherished" explained
Erna. HE also left some old pieces
of delftware and ancient firearms.
II shall keep the coin always, Erna,
said Wilbur. II hope it will be q
guardian OF good fortune"
"But what about the pay?" inquired
Erna, archly. II bought your thoughts
what were they?"
"Well. Erna," answered Wilbur. his
glance softening and replete with
sentiment, 81 was thinking how dear.
ly loved you when came home for
the holiday vacation"
Erna's fair golden head dropped,
but she drew nearer to him on the
porch seat.
"And how much more love you
now" continued Wilbur seriously.
"And when l come home next summer
hope l can add to 1t all by asking
you to become my wife"
81 hope CO." said Erna spontaneous
ly, lifting her clear, honest eyes to
meet his own. "but you must not think
Of that until your are sure that little
Eva and I will not be burden /,
you. All grandfather has left US is
this little place, and some money is
owing on that"
II hope to be able to clear up every
thing and more" spoke Wilbur conf
IDENTIFY. "Send your sweet, best wishes
after me when I go back to work In
the city, that / may find some way of
earning more money than / do now"
BE patient, dear" soothed Erna en-
couragingly. Our ship is sure to
come In some day, and it will be the
more precious for the waiting"
Wilbur was employed in broker
age office. Opportunity came to him
through this business connection of
making money, but he had no capital
TO invest. About two weeks after his
return to the city close friend,
Paul Warf1eld, dropped into his room
at his boarding house.
II wish I had a thousand dollars,
Wilbur" he said. "Tve got tip that
would make me fortune in month"
Wilbur smiled incredulously. He
had always kept away from tips and
speculative propositions generally,
and, besides, he realized that War
field was good deal of dreamer.
"Don't laugh at me, Wilbur" said
Paul. ''This is no wild fantasy, but
a sure thing"
"Some stock on the boom, eh?"
"Nothing OF the sort. It's sure
prospect, with a sound, substantial
basis. It's land-land that never de-
Gays, never burns up, never wears
out. Wall street can't play with 1t.
LAND with a gold mine on 1t, I sup
poser intimated Wilbur quizzically.
mo, Wilbur, it's an eight-acre strip
and last week on the next forty a
prospector made strike. He sealed
the we'll, and is trying to keep his
discovery quiet until he can interest
some capitalist to buy up all the other
land In the vicinity. The very choic-
est Is the piece 1 have chance to
buy. My old aunt is willing to in
vest half of the money required.
Couldn't you raise the other five hun
dred In some way, Wilbur"
"Oh, yes, sure; certainly" derided
Wilbur. "See," and he emptied his
pocket of the few coins it held. 81
might buy a hundredth part of an
acre." and just then one of the coins
slipped through his careless fingers
and rolled against Paul's foot.
The latter picked 1t up to restore 1t
to It's owner. Then with a profound
stare and voluble: "Hellol Where
did you ever get that?" He held close
TO the light the copper penny Erna
Barton had given TO Wilbur. He
rubbed 1t, took out magnifying glass
and added: "Say, did you know that
you have a TREASURED"
"What do you mean" questioned
Wilbur.
"Why. that this is Cirencester
penny OF the period of King Stephen,
probably one of the rarest coins in
the world. centuries old. win you let
me take 1t to an old collector ]
know I'll be back in an hour"
The hour was just up when Paul,
excited and breathless, returned. "One
OF the only two knownl" he fairly
shouted. 1.-THE other is in the Brit
ish museum. I have an offer of six
hundred dollars"