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Show FICTION ANOTHER GOOD CROP CORNER By James B. Holm mWlk Ash wood used for baseball bats 1 is cured in a shed where it will dry thoroughly in about two years. If the wood is not thoroughly dry the bat will not be lively and a batter will not like the feel of the wood in his hands. Gertrude Berg, who created "Molly Goldberg" 21 years ago and has been playing it ever since, j brought her stage superstitions to : Hollywood when she made her debut in Paramount's "The Gold- 1 bergs." Mrs. Berg insists all members of her cast step onto the stage with their right foot first. riARM FOLKS are always asking a squire for information and advice ad-vice on law. Dave Tidwell was no exception. Dave was a leathery faced man in his sixties. I was attracted by I a peach tree on 3M!nnta his place, then in Minute m bearing. He Fiction 8ave me a few I peaches. Dave's place didn't look any too prosperous. He spoke of his dilapidated dilapi-dated old car near the barn. "I guess I'll never have money enough to buy a new on," he said. "Can't make anything on this place now." I could see he had something else on his mind. Pretty soon be started to ask questions. "Squire, who does money belong to if it's found hidden in a man's barn?" "Why, 1 suppose It would belong to him, unless someone else could prove direct ownership," I told him. More questions were asked, rather rath-er cautiously. At length he said: "I nsed to have a hired man named Obie Hart. Don't know If you ever heard of him or not. He'd dead now. lie was a good fellow. "When he was a young man, he and his brother Sid lived around here. Obie got engaged to a girl but she threw him over for Sid. Obie always hated Sid for that and left home. Never spoke to Sid again. He came to work for me nearly forty years ago and stayed until last year when he died. I didn't pay him much but he saved his money. He didn't trust banks, either, and he never married. I could see he had something else on his mind. Pretty soon he started to ask questions. ii It FTER HE GOT sick last year Obie didn't live long. One day I was talking to him and he said, 'Dave, if anything happens to me I got money enough in my clothes to bury me. Better get it right now over there.' I did and we counted it out. He acted like he wanted to tell me something more, but all he ever said was that he didn't want Sid to have anything of his. "A few days later Obie died. The money wasn't quite enough to bury him, but that was all right. I paid the balance. Sure enough, Sid came snooping around, inquiring about Obie's money. I told him what I knew but I guess he didn't believe me. Argued on it and huffed and puffed. Was real ugly about it, too. He claimed Obie's clothes and watch. Probably his by law anyhow. I couldn't prove anything different, could I?" "Now here a couple of weeks go I was working in the barn and came across a wad of ten dollar bills stuck away in a mortise slot. Wasn't a great deal. I don't know who put It there. Who does the money belong be-long to?" "Dave," I said, "I can't advise you, but if it had been me that found it, I wouldn't do any hunting for an owner. It's your bam, isn't it?" We looked at each other with the light of understanding between us. "I don't know if there's any more there or not," said Dave. "As I said, I don't know what Obie did with his money. He must have accumulated ac-cumulated quite a little in forty years. He may have done something with it I don't know about, or anyone. any-one. Anyhow, he liked to be alone around ihe barn a great deal." "Dave," I said, "what people don't know won't hurt them. If I found any money in my barn I would regard it as another good crop. If anyone thought different, it would be up to him to prove his claim." Dave looked satisfied. "I guess 1 can trust you, can't L squire?" I forgot all about the matter until a year later. Then Dave Tidwell came to my office carrying a half bushel basket of peaches. 'These are some of the peaches you liked so well, squire," he said. "I had another nice crop this year. Matter of fact, all crops were good this year. No charge. My regards." The look he gave me was a peculiar, pe-culiar, knowing one and confidential like. I looked out my window and saw Dave drive away. He was driving a nice new automobile. It was make that must have cost twenty-five twenty-five hundred dollars or more. |