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Show TC THE FINDING xS OF THE FLEDGELING f By SHANNON BIRCH (Copyright, by Shortatorjr Tub. Co.) The campfires were dying at Intervals along the trail that led up the eastern slope of the mountains, to the pass that hid the restless prospectors from the new found wealth of Nugget-on- , lying In the gulches at the foot of the western slope of the mountains where rose the head-waterof the s Fever river. The wagons, composing the largest camp on the trail, had one by one been driven forward from their camping ground on their journey up the mountain side, except one, whose owner, left alone, mounted his wagon, and, without hesitation, took the trail down the mountain. As no camp rule had been broken, he was permitted to move on down the mountain-side- , and arrived In the middle of the day at the last camping place next to the one where he had separated from the train. Arriving at this point the traveler unhitched his team, with the evident design of remaining In his location for some length of time. sr -- trunk. To contemplate the possibilities before him, he let his hands fall from the that stood stiffly out from the tree, and stepped back a ax-helv- e, pace. While regarding the situation In this contemplative spirit, he caught sight of toa covered wagon driven down-trai- l ward his camp. He remained Inactive, awaiting the passage of the wagon and Its occupant. That did not occur. The wagon. Instead, drew In and came to a standstill. The driver dismounted and approached, glancing curiously at the ax extended from the tree. He greeted Thomas Wickersham, who returned the greeting and then simply stood waiting. This the elder of the two by several years, last-come- r, seemed greatly embarrassed, but at length said: I clearly perceive that you are entitled to the reasons for my appearing here, but I must say that I am at a loss to state them, not so much because they are not clear to me, as by reason of the unexpected appearance here of fulfillment of certain designs by another that I supposed could only possibly be entertained by mlself. I find that you have proceeded here to the same extent and practically In the same manner I had designed to do, even to your beginning to fell the tree before us. You have preceded me here, and are entitled to the rights of a prior possessor. I will state my case, and we can then decide to what extent it Interferes with any claims you may have and desire to retain: met by the elder, with the Joyous cry : Tommy ! Salathlal Wickersham had settled early on the Mississippi bottom, in Illinois, and had, with the Indoor aid and assistance of his spouse, Louisa Ellen, literally hewed a farm from tho primeval woods, when Robert and Thomas, their sons, arrived, respectively, at the ages of 20 and 17. Salathiel Wickersham had become a prosperous land owner, and his family shared with him his prosperity. The boys. Robert and Thomas, worked about the farm, and apparently never Much of their laknew discontent bor had been expended on the clearings that from time to time turned the , and they would forest Into attack the largest trees and fell them. Robert chopped with the right hand nearest the ax, while Thomas was This arrangement enabled them to double-team- , standing opwhile posite striking alternate blows. were The boys inseparable In work and play, although there was a difference of three years In their ages. Robert was slow, like his father Thomas, independent and impulsive, plow-land- left-hande- d. like hi? mother, Louisa Ellen, whoso he always was. baby and ewe-lam- b It was on a notable September day, as Robert and Thomas were doubleteaming on a sturdy hickory, that Robert, In response to Tommys chip In, fell to and the two soon notched a base away from the chip. Then RobThomas Wickersham .had long been ert, following his cry of chip! sunk a citizen of Grass Valley, in the new his ax above the notch, followed by of to Thomas ax, that fell In the gash made country Kansas, before he began depart from his customary habits of by Robert's ax, and remained embedslumber and dream, time after time, ded there, for Thomas had suddenly that he was engaged in felling a giant formed a resolution had reached a tree whose decayed interior was the mental climax and forgetting the viran immense hoard of time and place, allowed Roberts dereceptacle of gin gold. Beyond the fact that his scending ax to fall on bis, and throw dream occurred with great persistenaround a shower of sparks. Tommy cy, Thomas Wickersham was unable without further ado, and without withto go In explanation of this phenomdrawing his ax, ceased work and went enon. His mind had not dwelt on the to the house. possession of gold above his neighbors. This was the last time (for the next I am a farmer, as you may conWhat surprised him greatly was the and my home is at Rapid morning Tommy was gone) that these jecture, to of one likeness dream photographic In Nebraska. The gold fever brothers raised an ax together until another always the same surround- Jack, that has swept the west found me dis- 20 years had expired, and a sudden ings, the same landscape, the same tracted from my usual routine of du- thought again stayed the arm of mountains, the same ravine, with the ties by the and again smashed down the frequent occurrence of a Thomas, same great tree leaning above It, himax of Robert, in the mountains of Coldream that presented each time the self sinking his ax deep Into, the fibers same see features, never deviating, of a orado, where they were toled to of the tree, its fall, and the pebbly remember mountain scene, crossed by a ravine again the long ago, and that ran from the hollow and In which stood . gold were brothers. that they I a huge tree, that felled spread In a mighty heap upon the and found hollow, but filled with gold ground ecstatic possession of illimitA fledgeling of the Wickersham nest flowed out at my feet. In possessable wealth, that vanished with the that flown away; it seemed for good. had InvariI of this treasure, ing myself banishment of sleep. said he would return when Salathiel awoke. It must, of course, be This having, and then not having, ably his wings. He looked for had tried he clear to you that the tree you have bewore on Thomas Wickersham, whose as he knew it did not take him soon, gun to fell is the tree of my dream. attention, no doubt, was the more an age for Tommy to get hungry. Any Thomas Wickersham listened to this matcoincidental a in deeply engaged revelation with amazement, and it was remarks, however, about Tommys ter because of it. This matter was the no sooner concluded than he related hunger were kept from Louisa Ellen, sudden discovery of gold fields of unwho dreamed of nothing else from one usual richness at Aladdin creek, one of his own experience, and it was prompt- baking to another. of Fever river, west, ly concluded between them that the the head-water- s Within two years Salathiel was search should be conducted jointly. beyond the mountains. to his fathers, and his last called The team was unhitched and providThomas Wickershams auriferous thoughts were of Tommy. dream must have aroused in him an ed for, the elder man drew from his Louisa Ellen remained with Robert, adventurous spirit, for he was pos- wagon an ax, and the two men ap- and gently hoped and prayed for Tomsessed at once with a determination to proached the tree where the handle mys return, until six years more had of Thomas Wickershams ax still stood try his fortunes in the gold fields, and out at right-angle- s to the trunk. The passed, when she, pining for Tommy, the expiration of a few short weeks died. With her last breath she urged saw him rolling westward in company elder one said: Robert to find Tommy, and Robert I observe by your ax that you chop with other emigrants, in a train of canvas-promised. I am a right-hande- d covered chopwagons, bound to the ElAt the expiration of two years more dorado of Aladdin creek. per; I will stand opposite, so we can ten years in all since Tommy deand strike time-abouIt was Thomas Wickersham who re- double-teaparted Robert sold the farm and The younger man, assenting, drew moved turned to the abandoned camp, bewest, never ceasing the search cause it was the place of his dream, out his ax and simply exclaiming: for Tommy. Time went by without reevery feature coinciding with its de- Chip in! struck the tree a blow that sults until Robert had been in the west tail. The discovery had been unex- was followed by a stroke from the oth- ten years, always looking for Tommy. pected. Chosen to ride ahead to locate er, alternating until a- considerable Then came the dreams, and the the place selected, for the camping notch was' hacked in the trunk of the that spanned the River of meeting ground for the night, Wickersham had tree. Then the elder suddenly ex- Years, and achieved in a twinkling the suddenly found himself face to face claimed: Chip! and followed this by realization of Louisa Ellens gentle with a place as familiar to him as the sinking his ax above the notch, so as hope. country lying around Grass Valley. to chip out between. The elder at once withdrew his ax During the night he determined to Wise and Foolish Widows. as move with the train a days journey that of the younger sank in the They tell of a woman in Coolidge up the mountains, beyond the fear of gash, but the younger failed to with- who put up such a costly monument inquisitive companions, and then re- draw his implement failed even to at- for her husband that she has had to turn to probe the mystery. tempt to draw it and, crashing upon wear old clothes ever since. Also of on which he arrived back, the head of the one in the tree, show- another widow who put up a modest The day and more than half the following ering sparks of fire, fell the edge of little headstone and had money to buy day, were spent in preparing for ef- the descending ax of the elder, who herself nice clothes, and now has anfective investigation. First the great looked quickly up, to be met by an un- other husband paying for her coal tree was to be felled, and if no show- accountable look on the face of the and flour. Atchison Globe. er of gold came of that, then some- younger, who staggered forward, and Camel Can Carry Heavy Load. thing else might be done. Having se- shouted: Bob! A camel is able to carry a load lected his point of attack, he swung The was almost instantly three times greater than the horse. younger his ax, that fell, biting keenly Into its left-hande- d; t. m - - , NEW SCHOOL IDEA HOROSCOPE NOW PLANNED. EDUCATION BY Matter Has Been Taken Up IS Serlou-l- in England and a Thorough Test of Its Possibilities Is to Be Made. Education by horoscope for the mental development of the young is having a remarkable vogue in England With tho education bill in parliament exciting discussion among both clergy and laity, the new Idea of arriving at the mental condition of children namely, by means of casting horoscopes may be one way of solving the various problems before the country. ' A new society has come forward and offered Horoscope Scholarships, each worth $73. Strangely enough, these scholarships, while competitive, do not deiend on tho efforts of the children themselves. Barents .who wish to win a $75 horoscope scholarship have to fill out a competition form, giving the name of tho child, date and hour of birth, and where the birth wa3 registered. The last condi- tion is essential In order to prevent parents who may know something of astrology themselves from faklDg a brilliant horoscope from a hypothetical date, and thus even doing tho stars out of their Job. Tho child whose horoscope 6hows the most promising futuro will be awarded one of the prizes. Each of the application forms will bo turned over to a number of well known and skilled astrologists, and tho child having the best "future" is to be given the chance, as It. were, of living up to It. For instance, if, among the competitors, there are any young Napoleons, Miltons or George Washingtons, this fact at once will be revealed, That the new idea is catching on . in England is demonstrated by the fact that hundreds of parents have gone In for the prize offered. If the method becomes general. It will save educational authorities a vast deal of trouble. Instead of worrying with the mentally deficient, the casting of the horoscopo will show where the shortcoming lies, and the child can be dealt with accordingly. There Is no use in wasting an education fit for Isaac Newton on a child who will never rise above the mathematical attainments of Simple Simon, for instance, and so trouble will be saved all round. Children who receive the horoscope prizes are to get the money In hard cash. The idea of giving out real money in connection with these mystical problems is a novel one In Itself, and that alone will account for the im mense popularity of the new scheme. If mystical money were paid for horoscope scholarships, or the children had to wait until the future corroborated the predictions of the starinterest gazing experts, very little would be taken in the matter. The scholarships are to be given on very practical subjects. For instance, if the horoscope indicates that the child has musical talent, the $75 award Is to be devoted to developing the musical faculties, and this course will also be followed with reference to artistic genius, business capacity and even Just what this last ability. term signifies it is a little difficult to say. It seems, however, that the hove scopists are not to limit their award. If a childs career points, for instance, to a brilliant future as a trust magnate, every facility to the extent of the $75 is to be given to develop the ability in the specific directions indicated by the star chart. The scholarships for the best horoscopes are not to be confined either to girls or boys, but either sex is open to compete. The first three awards are to be made to children under the age of 14; while the fourth goes to the boy or girl between the ages of 14 and 17 whose horoscope denotes the possession of those qualities most tial to success in a commercial career. all-aroun- d all-aroun- d |