Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-03-22

could not buy. Ny hope, too, was rendered
more acute BY the vague idea that perhaps
my treasure might prove to be as valuable
as Kallirhoe. and smiled to think Of the
FOLLY of the man who would be likely to
prefer the cold marble statue to my plump
warm Kallirhoe. But they tell me that
you cold Eortherners have hearts Of marble,
SO ! prayed to the Pansgia and all the saints
TO send some one who would take the statue
swsy. and give me money enough to buy
Kalhrhoe.
81 wss much more lively now; my father
and brothers had no cause to scold me any
longer, for l had hope; every evening now
i went TO the cafe to talk, and all the energy
Cf my existence was devoted to one object,
namely to get the Deuarch to tell me all
he knew sbOtt The chances Of selling treas
urts in that big world where the steamer
vent, without letting him know thatI had
found anything After many frlirless ef'
forts, one day The Demsrch told me how,
in the old Turkish days, before he was born,
a peasant OF Melos had found a statue Of
woman called Aphrodite, just as had found
mine in heap of stones; that the peasant
bad cot next to nothing for il, but that Mr.
Brest, the French Consul, had made for
tune out Of and that now the statue was
the wonder Of the Western world. By de-
prees learnt how relentless foreigners like
YOU. effeudi, do swoop down from time to
lime on these islands and carry home what
is worth thousands of drachmas, after giving
next to nothing for them. A week or two
later, learnt from the Demsrch's lips how
strict the Greek Government is, that no
marble should leave the country, and that
they never give anything like the value for
the things themselves, but that sometimes
by dealing With foreign effendi in Athens
good prices have been got and the Govern
mEnt eluted.
Poor me- in those days my hopes grew
very, very email indeed. How could /, an
! ignorant peasant, hope to get any money
| from anybody? So thought less and les'
about the statue, and more and more about
Kalirboe, until nv face grew hsggard again
aud my mother sighed.
NV statue had been in her grave nearly
q year" laughed Nikola, and after the way
| of the world she was nearly forgotten, when
one day ca;que pat in to SikiuOs, and two
foreign effendi-Franks believe-came up
10 the town; they we're the first that had
visited our rock since the German who had
opened the graves on the hillside, and had
carried off lot of gold and precious things.
| so we sll stared at them very hard, and
| gathered in crowds around the Demarch's
door to get glimpse at them as they sat at
| rable | was one Of the crowd, and as |
looked at them though of my buried statue
and my hone Hickered AGAIN.
Very soon the report went about among
US that they were miners from Laurion,
come TO inspect our island and see if we had
anything valuable in the way of minerals;
| and nv father, whose vision it had been for
years 10 find mine and make himself rich
| thereby, was greatly excited and offered to
! end the strangers his mules The old MAT
wss too inGrm TO 90 himself greatly to his
| Z greet. but be sent me as muieteer, with
,iire Ctions TO conduct the miners to certain
Joints of the island. and TO watch narrowly
,,srythiug they PICKED up Many times
! Turing the day | was tempted to tell them
vi about my statue and my hopes but !
!, membered what the Demarch had said
s6out greedy foreigners robbiug poor island
rs. So contented myself with asking all
sorts Of questions about Athens: who was
the richest effenli there. and did he buy
statues? what sort of thing WAS the custom,
and should |, who came from another psrt
Of Greece, be subject to it if went? | sighed
10 go to Athens
"All day | watched them closely, noted
what sort Of stones they picked up noted
their satisfaction or dissatisfaction, ana as
watched them an idea struck mean idea
which made my heart leap and trembe with
excitement.
That evening told my father some OF
those lies which hurt nobody, and are there.
fore harmless, as the priests say. | told him
had acquired great knowledge Of stones
that day, that knew where priceless min
erals were TO be found; | drew on my i'm
agination about possible hidden stores OF
gold and silver in our rocky Sikinos.
saw that had touched the right chord, for
though he ALWAYS told us hard. working lads
that an olive with kernel gives boot to
man, yet felt sure that his Utmost ideas
SCARED higher, and that he was, ike the rest
Of the Sikiniotes, deeply imbued with the
idea that mineral treasures, if only they
could be found, would give man more
than boots.
From that day my mode OF life was
changed. Instead Of digging in the fields
and tending the vines, wandered aimlessly
about the island collecting specimens of
stones. chose them at random-those
which had some bright color in them were
the best-and every evening / added some
fresh specimens to my collection, which
were placed for safety in barrels in the store.
Don't say a word to the neighbors, was my
father Injunction; and really believe they
al thought my reason wss leaving me, or
how else could they account for my daily
wanderings2
an about a month time | had collected
enough specimens for my purpose. and then,
with considerable trepidation, one evening
disclosed my plan to my father. some.
thing must be done with those specimens, L
began; and as l said this | saw With pleas
, re his old eyes sparkle as he tried to look
unconcerned.
We'll, Kola, what is to De / ne with
them?
Simply this, father mus: take them
10 Athens or Laurion, aud get money DOM
for showing the effendi where the mines are.
We can't work them ourselves
To Athens! to Iaurion! exclaimed my
father, breathless at the bare mention Of so
stuperdous a Journey.
"'Ot course / must added laughing,
though secretly terrifel lest he should fatty
refuse to let me 60; aud before went to
bed that night my father promised to give
me ten drachmas Tor my expenses. Only
take few Of your specimens. kols keep
he rest back: for my father is a shrewd
man, though he has never left Sikinos. But
on this point was determined, and would
take all or none, so my father grumbled
and called me peacock, but for this I did
not care.
Next day | ordered box for ny speci-
mems. Why not take them in the old bar
relsY growled nv father. But l said they
might get broken, and the specimens Inside
be seen. So at last wooden box, Just