The tribune. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-09-08

uldIe WdS loo mucn Tor the poor little
child we had. The loss of our son has
changed my wife's character She is
more determined than ever to find the
treasure. My word is pledged. The en-
gagement ring you had made for me was
beaten out of bit of gold washed ashore
from the wreck. Before we were mar
rled had promised Aurelia to seek the
Sol. 1t seems that for two centuries
those Curacao van Graabs have brooded
over the buccaneers plumber until it has
become n family taint. But to business.
[ have $780, 600 to spend. Should we
lose it, sugar will make it up again in q
few years. L have made explorations,
personal ones. Last year wrecking
company sent me some of their most ex-
pert hands. i went down with them. I
am familiar with diving apparatus. We
have pretty nearly satisfied ourselves as
to the exact spot. There are traces of
ships timbers, eaten by the worms. A
dozen pieces of gold coin, worn thin by
abrasion, rewarded our toll. Can YOU
doubt now that the Sol is no myth9 We
have hunted the old Dutch and Spanish
archives. 1t was not million of dol
lars worth of silver and gold that went
down in the Sol, but six millions. Crop
ing for millions some twenty fathoms
under water is terrible work"
81 should think so, Adrien," re-
piled, especially MS in your younger
days your lungs were neyor overstrone. ="
Pshaw. The southern climate has
restored me. am getting used to an
amphibious life. If the money is found,
my wife will have her titleIas for nv.
self, it will be some good work of charity
L shall found Now, would you mind,
my old friend, helping mo- My absence
from Now York has been so prolonged
that l am ignorant of many things. A
life of somewhat an indolent character
has dulled, perhaps, my energy. Will
you act for me2 It may occupy your
afternoons. Let me assure you, if / do
not presume on your kindness, that I
should be glad to offer you any remu-
neration you would think suitable"
The proposal was so kindly made that
L accepted the position of agent for
Adrien. Machinery was built, a tug was
purchased, and contract made with a
company who were to send out to Gu
racoa competent persons acquainted with
submarine work. When all was ready
and the last bill paid declined an ur-
gent appeal on the part of Adrien to &C
company him. De Graab left, and my
labors ceased when the propeller Aurelia
Do G.. steamed out of the Narrows. I
waited after that for months and months.
The managers of the wrecking company
could only inform me that the propeller
and hands had arrived in safety Mt Gu
racoa. At last l received n short note
from Adrien. Usually he wrote the
neatest of hands; now the words were
scrawled and difficult to decipher. 1t
read as follows: Found! L have lust
put Mt Aurelia's feet IN ingot of gold.
It's weight is eighteen pounds. It must
have weighed double that $50 years ago.
Poor Aurelia! never told you there
had been a passing cloud between us.
Her love has returned. The work under
the sea is terribly trying. / dare not
trust the men out of my sight. It is n
delirium of wealth which is like to craze
me. L shall write you again. Our sue
cess is now beyond doubt, and only n
question of time" 1t was with fever
lsh anxiety that I watched for another
letter. Most year passed and no It'd
lngs came. At last, In an insignificant
newspaper paragraph among the scanty
fragments of news cleaned from South
American sources, L read this
"The Sol expedition in search of n
treasure-ship, after most brilliant open
ing, has been abandoned. The party
are returning via Panama."
So it ended. The close of this drama
can be better understood by transcribing
n letter Adrien's wife sent me
Il am alone now in this world.
Adrien is no more. Even the poor con-
ISOLATION of seeing his remains has been
denied me. 1 never can have peace
again on earth. The ingot of gold he
gave me I send you. Have a crucifix
made of it. With whatever is left of the
gold have masses said in the city where
he was born for the repose of his soul.
The crucifiX send to me. In my agony
praying before it, will ask pardon for
my sins, for it is 1 who killed my hus-
band"