Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 61, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 November 1910 — A SHREWD GIRL. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A SHREWD GIRL.

She Proved She Knew Where Power Was Best Placed. \ Y ' . - . ■ ; ... By ELINOR STEWART CATON. [Copyright, 1910, by American Press Association;] There is a point on the Connecticut coast extending into Long Island sound called Sachem’s Head, the name probably having been derived from some connection an Indian chief formerlyhad with the place. The shore is divided between rocks and beaches, backed by part low and part high or rather rolling ground. On the east side of the head, not far from the point, in the year 1800 stood the house of a farmer. John Cromwell. One autumn day Cromwell was sitting on his i»rch smoking his pipe when he discovered out on the sound a boat being rowed toward the shore. Today that region is full of boats of all kinds, but then they were a rarity. The farmer watched the oars alternately disappear and flash in the sunlight till ti e boat entered the little cove before his house and ran its nose up on the beach. Then a man jumped out, pulled it farther up and advanced toward Cromwell. The stranger was young and Comely, but rather singularly dressed. His hat wts big and pointed in the crown, his coat was short and flaring below, his breeches and his shoes were ornar mented with large silver’ buckles, his hose were a dark red. while his waist was encircled by a wide belt clasped with a wider buckle than either of the other two. and in it were several pistols of an eighteenth century pattern. In short, his appearance smacked of piracy. “Have I struck Sachem's Head?” asked the young man. “That’s what they call it,” replied the farmer. The young man looked about him as if trying to get his bearings. Presently he spoke again: “You wouldn’t mind letting me stay with you awhile, would you? I can pay for my keep.” “Where did you come from?” “I took French leave of a ship that passed this way last night. Since then I’ve been hunting for Sachem’s Head. I’m mighty hungry.- Can’t you give me

something to eat? And I don’t like these clothes. Let me have one of your own suits.” The stranger thrust his hand down into his breast pocket and pulled out a handful of Spanish pieces of eight. The farmer cast an eager glance at the gold, went into the house, told his wife and daughter that a stranger needed a meal, then went upstairs to find him some clothes; When the young man had been fed and reclothed the farmer gffrve him a pipe, and they sat together on the porch for a smoke. Cromwell, being a Yankee, followed the proclivity of his race and began to question the stronger. “Guess you’ve got a name, haven’t you?” “Edward Kent.” “Did you ship from the Old country?” “I did originally.” “And not in the vessel you deserted?” * “Ito* “Ever been here before?” “No.” “Then why did you try to find the place?” “Oh, I’ve heard about it.” Crorntvell kept up the pumping process for some time, but, not making any headway, finally gave it up. Kent agreed to pay a good price for board and gave several of the pieces of eight for the castoff suit of clothes he wore, so no objection was raised to his remaining. The day after his arrival Ruth Cromwell, the farmer’s daughter, looking out of a window, saw the stranger standing on the narrow strip of beach In front of the house. He held a bit of paper in his hand, which he would alternately consult and look at certain objects near by. The tide was out, . exposing a considerable area of mud, and about a hundred yards from the beach a rock shaped like a sugar loaf was left completely bare. The stranger went down on the sand till he came to the mud, stopped, turned, sighted some object on the grounds -in the fear of the house, turned again for another look at the rock, then, facing about, walked to a pine tree that stood alone. Arrived at the pine, he again consulted the paper. He then cut a small braijch, which he whittled to a point, then walked with even paces to a piece where he stopped and, turning,

set out at a right angle to a root partly hidden by a clump of bushes. Then, facing the house, he walked to a point midway between the rock he had left and the house and, stooping, forced the stick he had cut into the ground. Ruth noticed that when be walked he appeared to count his steps The girl’s curiosity was excited. She was a reticent young woman and kept what she had seen not only from her father and mother, but refrained ‘from asking Kent, as most girls would have done, what was the meaning of his strange walks. She preferred rath er to wait and From the moment she had seen the handsome stranger in his singular but becoming costume she had been greatly attracted to him. Girls living Where they seldom meet a man are liable to fall easily in love, and Ed ward Kent in education and refinement was far above any man she had ever met. It was not long before the young man conceived as strong a preference for her as she had conceived for him. The two rowed about sometimes in the boat he had come in; but,' being a heavy ship’s boat. they used it only in windy weather, at other times taking a common rowbeat. It was ou these trips that Edward made love to Ruth and she acknowledged her own love for him. But he told her that their marriage depended upon a certain contingency. -He said he had a scheme for making a large amount of money. If he succeeded there was no reason why they should not be married at any time: if not, there would be a life of poverty for them together and it might be better that they should remain separate. To this Ruth listen'd without com ment, t hoe "h when Edward asked her if she did not think it imprudent for them to mat ty-with nothing to marry on; site assented. But she was no talker, taking in everything that was said to her. maintaining silence as to her opinions.

It was not long after the stranger’s arrival that he offered the farmer the remaining pieces of eight if be would permit him to build a log hut on his premises. lie said there were noises in the house at night that prevented his sleeping. Cromwell gladly gave his consent, and Kent chose a spot in the rear of the house and near the smokehouse. It was where he had put in the stick. Having made all arrangements. he cut down timber in the forest suited to his purpose and built his cabin. When he had finished it and put a cot aiid a chair in it—all the furniture he needed, he said—he took the Cromwell family into it to inspect it, then locked the door, and no one of them ever after had a peep inside of it till -after he bad abandoned it. Several weeks passed when one day Kent told Ruth Cromwell that he had met with a great disappointment. He also explained the mystery that had hung about him since his arrival at Sachem’s Head. “I am a younger son of a country gentleman in England,” he said. “A year ago I sailed from London to New York to take a position with a merchant there. On the voyage, when off Long Island, our ship was captured by pirates and every one except myself was forced to walk the plank. I pretended to a desire to follow’ a life of piracy and begged to be permitted to join the crew. As the captain was very ignorant of navigation and I had made a voyage for the purpose of studying it my offer was accepted. I spent months with the pirates while they intercepted Spanish ships carryingmoney between Mexico and afterw’ard while they pillaged the coast east and south of New York. “One of the crew, a better naan than the rest, took a fancy to me, and when he was wounded after a fight with an armed merchantman and at the point of death told me that he and some comrades had buried a large quantity of gold and precious stones they had' plundered at Sachem’s Head, on the Connecticut coast. He gave me this paper, on which are directions where to find the treasure.” He read: “ ‘Sachem’s Head. Third beach east’ of point of rocks. Cove contains rock like sugar loaf 100 yards from beach at low tide. Apex just awash at high tide. Seventy paces west to pine tree standing alone. From pine fifty paces tow’ard island to N. E. Turn at right angle, thirty paces to rock covered by brush. Face house, go twenty paces due east. Dig six feet.’

“A few days before I reached here the pirate ship sailed into the sound past Block island, went westward looking for ships to capture as far as New Haven, but, hearing of a war vessel, went back. While passing here at night I let myself down into a boat, cut loose and rowed ashore. I knew I was near the place. ! wanted, but did not know how near. You know the rest, except the denouement. “I built my cabin over the spot where I expected to find the treasure, then dug down, filling the cabin with the earth I took out. I was doomed to disappointment. I found no treasure. If We marry we shall be doomed to a life of poverty.” “I love you so well that I prefer a life of poverty With you to living without you,” said Ruth. “In that case I yield.” “Come with me.” She led him to the smokehouse, unlocked the door, opened it, and they entered. In a corner was a sailor’s locker. Ruth opened it. and it was full of gold pieces., and jewels, looked at her in amazement. “I saw your maneuvers.” she said, “and suspected your object. I ’ tunneled from the smokehouse and reached the treasure ahead of you. Since our marriage depended on it, I preferred that it should be mine.” Mrs. Kent always spoke of ’ the fortune as “my property .” 1 '

IT WAS FULL OF GOLD PIECES AND JEWELS.