St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-22

her, with view of purchasing her from your
father without awakening his suspicious. as
sented, You have my confession now, Miss
Mott. You know my crime. / am at your
mercy"
Rosey's arm only frightened around his
own. Her eyes sought his. ''And you
didn't find auythingl'' she said.
The question sounded so oddly like Sleight's
that Renshaw returned a little stif1y:
81 didn't look.''
''Whylr asked Rosey, simply.
Because" stammered Renshaw, with an
uneasy consciousness of having exaggerated
his sentiment, lit didn't seem honorable; il
didn'tseem fair to you.n
"Oh, you sillyl You might have looked
and told me-"
But" said Renshaw, do you think that
would have been fair to Sleight?"
''As fair to him as to us. For, don't you
see, it wouldn't belong to any of US. Il
would belong to the friends or family of the
man who lost it.
''But there were no heirs" replied Rem
shaw. THAT was proved by some impostol
who pretended to be his brother, and libeled
the Pontiac at Callao, but the courts decided
he was a lunatic.'
Then it belongs to the poor pirates who
risked their own lives for ii, rather than to
Sleight, who did nothing" She was silen
for a moment and then resumed with
energy. Il believe he was at the bottom OF
that attack last night
Il have thought so, too,'' said Renshaw.
Then | must 90 back at once,'' she con-
tinued, impulsively Father must not be
left alone"
Nor must you," said Renshaw, quickly.
''Do let me return with you, and share with
you and your father the trouble l have
brought upon you. Do not" he added in a
lower tone, deprive me of the only chance
of expiating my offense, of making myself
worthy your forgiveness"
81 am sure,'' said Rosey, lowering her lids
and half withdrawing her arm, ''I'm sure
have nothing to forgive. You did lot believe
the treasure belonged to US any more than
to anybody else until you knew me "
''That is true said the young man, at
tempting to take her hand.
~ mean" said Rosey, blushing, and
showing a distracting row of little teeth in
one of her infreQuent laughs, ''oh. you
know what | mean" She withdrew her arm
gently, and became interested in the selec-
ton of certain wayside bay leaves as they
passed along. ''All the same, l don't be-
lieye in this treasure she said abruptly, as
if to change the subject. Il don't believe it
ever was hidden inside the Pontiac.''
THAT can easily be ascertained now, said
Renshaw.
But it's pity you didn't find it out while
you were about it," said Rosey. ''It would
have saved so much talk and trouble"
II have told you why l didn't search the
ship" responded Renshaw, with a slight Bit
terness. "But it seems 1 could only avoid
being great rascal by becoming great
fool"
You never intended to be a rascal" said
Rosey, earnestly, land you couldn't be a
fool, except in needing what silly girl says.
l only meant if you had taken men into your
confidence it would have been better"
''Might 1 not say the same to you regard
ing your friend, the old Frenchman," re-
turned Renshaw. ''What if l were to confess
to you that 1 lately suspected him of know
ing the secret, and of trying to gain your as
sistance?n
Instead of Indignantly repudiating the
suggestion, TO the young mans great dis
comfture Rosey only knit her pretty brows,
and remained for some moments silent.
Presently she asked, timidly.
''Do you think it wrong to tell another
PERSONS secret for their own goodG"
NO. said Renshaw, promptly.
Then I'll tell you Monsieur De Ferri-
eres'! But only because believe from what
you have just sail that be will turn out to
have some right to the treasure.''
Then, with kindling eyes aud a voice elo-
quent with sympathy. Rosey told the story
of her accidental discovery of De Ferrieres'
miserable existence in the loft. Clothing it
with the unconscious poetry of her fresh
young Imagination, she lightly passed over
his antique gallantry and grotesque weak
ness, exaltiug only his lonely sufferings and
mysterious wrongs. Renshaw listened, lost
between shame for his late suspicious and
admiration for her thoughtful delicacy, until
she began to speak of De Ferrieres' strange
illusions to the foreign papers in his port
manteau. Il think some were law papers,
and am almost certain that I saw the word
Callao printed on one Of them"
1T NAV be So said Renshaw, thought
fully. "The old Frenchman has always
passed for harmless, wandering eccentric.
| hardly think public curiosity has ever even
sought to know his name, much less his
history. But had we better not first try to
lind if there is any property before We ex-
anime his claims to iti'
LAS you please" said Rosey, with slight
pout; "but You will find it much easier to
discover him than bis treasure. It's always
easier 10 fnd the thing you're not looking
for"
Until you want it. said Renshaw, with
sudden gravity.
''How pretty ii looks over there" said
Rosey, turning her conscious eye to the op-
p1site mountain.
VERY"
They had reached the top of the hill, and
in the near distance the chimney of Madrouo
cottage was even now visible At the ex-
pected sight they uucon sciously stopped IN
consciously disappointed. Rosey broke the
embarrassing silence.
There's another way home, but it's a
roundabout way, she said, timidly.
Let US take it, - said Renshaw.
She hesitated. tine boat goes at 4, and we
must return tonight"
The more reason why we should make the
most of our time now said Rrushaw, with
a faint smile TO morrow all things NAV
be changed; tomorrow you may fud YOUR
self an heiress, Miss Mott Tomorrow, =" he
added, With a slight tremor in his voice. ~
may have earned your forgiveness only to
say farewell to You forever Let me keep
this sunshine, this picture, this com paniou-
ship with you long enough to say now what
perhaps | must not say tom orrow"
They were silent for moment and then
by a common instinct turned together
into 8 narrow trail scarce wide enough for
two that diverged from the straight practical
path before them. 1t was indeed round
about way home,so roundabout in fact that as
they wandered on it seemed even to double
on its track, occasionally lingering loug ana
becoming indistinet under the shadow OF
madroDo aud willow; at one time stopping
bliudly before 4 fallen tree in the hollow,
where they had quite lost it and had to sit
down to recall IL; rough way. often rsduir
ing The mutual help OF each otler,s