News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1894-03-15

dllu 1CulSLnDcI Iue uOu remarked +:
"These rude bowlders are unquestion-
ably the security, the prop. the stay, of
our home. But for them our island
would be fathoms beneath the sea-
Once in and seated by the glowing
| fire, Pedro, who had now become the
| house servant instead of the sailcr,
brought us a bottle of wine. He un-
corked the bottle and departed. Coreta
turned three glasses, and the don pro-
posed the toast, America"
We drank the wine-fner 1 have
never tasted. l remarked it.
1T should be fine,' remarked the
DON that is, if age has improved it,
for it may be older than am l.
.sEow, grandpa Senior Gland, " re,
marked Careta. L will meet you at the
tea table," And she was gone.
''Senor Claud." said the don, "you
scarce believe that this wine can be so
huge structure on this little isIe should
be our home. 1t descended to me from
race who, up to so years ago, were buc-
caneers-what are nowadays termed pi-
rates. This was their stronghold. With
the death of my father, the last one to
follow that life disappeared. There are
in the vaults of Chanson wines and liq-
uors, placed there when he was vet Il
boy, and jewels that would ransom a
republic. To whom they once belonged
l know not, and not knowing l have
left them there. Ny mother was an
American, captured by my father in a
merchant ship, which, after being plum
dered of its valuables. was sent to the
bottom with all on board save her. He
loved her, and in time she loved him
and wOOed him from pirates life. He
gave his interests to his former lieuten-
ants and their crews and died here in
peace. He only stipulated that they
should find another refuge, and know
nothing of them. But they are all dead
long since. One only, old Martell, u
Frenchman, who was father body serv-
ant, remained with him from his for
mer life, and he long since passed away,
and his remains lie i'll the vault be-
meath. 1t was his last wish that he
might sleep forever by the jewels, the
money and the merchandise that in his
younger days, under the leadership of
my father, had been plundered from
merchantmen Of every nationality. A
strange wish. was it nOt!'
''It was indeed [ replied, "but do
you intend to make no uso of all this
wealth.
mo. 1t was my dying mothers last
wish that l should not touch it. have
seen it but twice-once when old Mar
tell showed me the place where he wish
ed his remains to repose after death
he was then bowed with age-again 40
years ago, when placed his dead body
on the casket of jewels in the vault.
my father had never told me the
story of his early life. 1t was only aft
er his death that I learned it, and then
from old Martell. Even then mother
grieved greatly that he had told me of
the hidden treasure and bade ln., never
! touch ionc saId tnaC III IaTner b lat
ter years he had considered it a curse
But come, there's the tea bell. have
told you more than any soul on earth.
1t must have been my early friendship
for your father that impelled me. Co
reta knows nothing of all this, and in
her presence do not refer to it. Poor
dearl Her father, mother and my own
dear wife died when she was but a
child.
AT the tea table Coreta joined us. If
Tgad thought her bewitching before,
Hnen l saw her now in her evening
dress, d string of pearls around her snow
white neck, a golden bracelet clasped
round each tapering wrist, diamond
cluster sparkling mid the golden ring
lets of her hair, 1 thought her beauti
full. Her maid, Arabia, attended us at
the table, and, oh, what pleasant hour
there passed to mel And after tea,
when the good don and / adjourned to
a neighboring room to test cigars that
came from he knew not where, neither
their age, with a Good night, senor,"
she vanished from my sight. felt that
1 had seen a lovely dream, and when /
had followed Pedro to room above,
furnished with the elegance of other
climes than Chili-elegant mahogany,
rare lace curtains, carpets of a value
rarely seen at home, each article of fur
niture denoting bygone age-and laid
my head upon the pillow it was not to
sleep, but to think of Coreta, of the don,
of the jewels beneath, CT dead Martell,
keeping his silent vigil ON the casket,
of piracies, and then wonder from what
cline came each and every article, and
when I slept it was the same.
Pedro awOke me in the morning, and
after breakfast Coreta and l took a
stroll ON the island. There We're sur
rounding the house perhaps 10 acres of
ground that showed luxuriant growth
of flowers, shrubbery and vegetables
of all descriptions. An old gardener was
working there as we passed. To our
GOOD morning" he muttered some ma
tive words that 1 could not understand,
and his face lit up with pleasure as he
gazed at COreta.
Poor old JUAN" said she. "As old
as he is, he goes to every dance in Co
quombo among his class. And she
gave him a coin.
''HOw many people have you on the
island?" ] asked.
"Seven," she answered, "besides
grandpa and Our servants.
found the island for the greater
part barren and rocky, with here and
there, all over it, an occasional huge
bowlder, such as I have before men,
toned.
Its greatest length could not have ex-
ceeded two miles, and its width not
more than half as much. Nor was it
much elevated above the oceans level,
but yet Coreta said the angricst waves
never mote than dashed their spray
half wa. to the house. But, senor,"
she added, sometimes the roar of the
waves and the shrieking of the wind
cause me to think that our island is
trembling"
We visited the stables, where two
sleek mules and Coreta's pony were
quartered. "Then you do ride here?'
said /.
'tOh, yes!' she replied, land often
take Jook to CCquombo for day OF
two."
"But what do the mules do, asked. |
"Oh, - she replied, "plow i'll the gar
den, and old Manuel rubs them and |
feeds them.
Lucky mules I thought.
We went back to the house and found |
the don sitting out on tho veranda.
What think you of Chansonf" he |
asked.
"Chanson p said /.
"Oh, forgot, +" he said; "you do moi |
yet know! Yes. Chanson is the name
of our island. The word is a French |
one and signifies song. You know we
have always the song of the waves"
"A very appropriate name,' I re-
fled.
We visited the parlor, and if other
parts of the old mansion were furnish
o1 in ola f;.,,o CIaUanca bara yroa Cnlan-