The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1899-08-11

OpSAo1OA Wucu SAnplSI mStnOO8 WeI0
available.
Stepping across the little square, the
air was 30 still that could hear the
tapping Of the ripples on the beach.
quarter Of q mile away: and seemed
to be the only, living creature awake.
had no difficulty in finding the key
which opened the postern door at the
rear Of the church, and easily stole
through the cloisters as far as the pas
sage leading into the chamber of hor-
rors. This was SO pitchy dark that I
turned on the current in my lamp and
was startled at the brilliancy of the
light which shot from it's lens. When It
fell upon the ghastly figure with the
diseased wish-bone, a cold chill started
the goose-Aesh all over me; the con-
trast between the senorita's warm,
breathing loneliness, Of which l had
been dreaming, and this semblance of
rotting carrion. was something horri-
bic. had to take good pull at my
flask before I could unlock the iron
trap and descend into the vaults.
There. also, the foul dampness, and the
company of real bodies, made my scalp
creep until 1t felt as though each In
dividnal hair were squirming.
When Bartolomeo introduced me to
the remains of Fray Ignacio, that morn
ing. I felt more or less of a friendly in
terest in the old chap; we hadn't been
near enough to appreciate the ghastli-
ness of the grinning skull, half hidden
by its gray cowl. But now. when I
placed my light between his toes and
attempted gently to ease his stomach
of that heavy box. the bony fingers
chung to it with gruesome strength;
the old bones cracked and wheezed as
tugged at it. How managed to keep
from fainting outright, never knew.
My efforts to remove the chest from the
old fellows lap seemed to threaten a
of his skeleton SO seri-
Gus that l. gave up the attempt and un-
locked it where 1t lay. To this he made
no objections; he even appeared to take
a mild interest in the proceedings, wag-
ging and wabbling his old skull, with
horrid whisperings aud creakings.
every time ] leaned against him.
The papers in the box were covered
with thick layer of dust, and. after
another pull at the fask-inSwhich the
fray, by sorrowful wag Of the cowl,
refused to join mel gently lifted the
top ones with a pair Of pocket plyers
SO as to show the least possible dis
turbance. Realizing that every moN
ment was precious, I hastily scanned
the other documents until one bearing
the trays signature appeared, which
proved to be the shipwrecked officers
statement. I wanted to read every
word; but it was in old Spanish. tho
parchment was so brittle that it rat
tied like fire crackers, and there wss
really but one sentence that ] needed.
So, glancing rapidly from line to line,
finally came upon one which, trans
lated, read: Position of ledge. ap-
proximately, IL degrees 30 minutes. 30
seconds N. lat, IA degrees, % minutes
90 seconds E. lop." This hastily PEN
ciled upon the wristband Of my shirt;
then, considering the advisability of de-
stroying the document. I had decided
that Its absence might be discovered at
any time, and was about to replace 1t.
when 1 thought OF Sebastiano. I
couldn't afford to leave accurate inform
alton for him to find. In a second or two
an idea occurred to me, and, striking
match, held it over the parchment in
such a way that it charred the figures
completely out, yet looked as though
cfnder had fallen accidentally upon the
page. It was, Of course. likely that
the padre would have his suspicious II
he ever saw it; but II succeeded in
getting safely ont of the church, l
thought. he'd have a sweet time verify
ing them.
To replace all of the documents was
a work of some moments. SO careful
was I not to disturb the coatings of
dust with which they were covered.
Then locked the box, while the fray
sadly wabbled his head at my temer-
ity, and started to return. The floor
of the vaults was of pounded cray,
and each step took produced vibra-
ton which filled the air with echoes
of other creeping footsteps. My nerves
were worn to thin edge by this time,
and had It not been for the brandy I
probab bly, should have lost conscious
ness. Yet. standing there in that foul.
passage, in an island
practically unknown to the world and
thousands of miles from civilization.
I couldn't help grinning to myself-a
nervous grin 1t was, too
at the incongruity Of prosaic COM
mercial man who had .worTied through
IS years of humdrum existence. be-
ing in such q position. What an un-
mitigated liar my acquaintances in the