The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-02-24
TREASURE LIGUNA

on them the wild Pacific rends its breast
it here lies purring on warm sand like a
cat upon a hearth.
From FL ToTo the stage came rafting
through the canyon at dusk and deposited
Harrison Hatcher and wife at the largest
of those wooden houses that face the
beach On the porch was sign, Rooms
for Rent
They, an eager young couple, entered
large living apartment. and Mrs. Migss
sat there knitting. In a corner, bent over
q table. whereupon We're CARDS which told
the hours Of high and low tide, sat very
ola woman.
Here we are again" cried Jennie
Hatcher Just as last year and ready for
another vacation. How is the crop Of
abalones?"
She gave Mrs Miggs an enthusiastic
kiss.
You see said Hatcher, we're so glad
to get out of Los Angeles and the cuTio
store that Ne want to jump right into the
sea. Wen gather abalones The demand
for shells is big at the store
Plump, placid Mrs. N1iggs pointed a
thumb to her pile of abalone shells under
a window. She had sharks eggs in
bowl starish on the wall. and barnacles
and things all over the house.
See" she said. how many old Mr..
Jones has got for me-"
Old Jones was mumbling in his beard:
'9:43 q. m. December the third. Lowest
in sixty-fve years. Two more days"
Some of the shells had been ground and
glowed with the light ami coIoring that
g..
IF they are so plentiful" cried Jennie.
I'VE can make our vacation expenses out
of abalones. Oh. Mrs. Miggs, how we
have siavedl And Door Harrison hall
sick! We are building up a trade; and in
a few years, maybe We shall be out Of
debt
Old Jones here arose and faced Jennie,
who was a picture Of optimism and
health. There WAS a wide smile on his
countenance, which was haggard and
startling.
Come here" said Jones. and toddled to
a window His voice was like the rust
ling Of damp pepsrs. Down that way
there amt none. lie swept his hand
70 the south His eye nthem dilate1.
Don't go that way. Go up this way" lie
swept his boRy hand TO the north.
oh. thanks said Jennie inclined to
edge away from him. And Hatcher
laughed big bass gratitude at the infor-
nation.
How Old are you?" shouted Hatcher.
"Oh, don't tell" said Jones. Ninety
five. I'll so to bed"
He murnbed and went up the stairs
His old legs wobbled. He was saying to
I, f-C /
est in sixty-two.'
Up he climbed; now his head disap-
peared; now his vithered trunk; now his
rickety less. They ehard his footballs.
soft and strange, along an upper half. Old
Jones had left a chill behind.
Who is that peculiar person." Jennie
whispered to Mrs Miggs.
Some old sailor" was Mrs. AIiSss' re-
ply. lie came two years ago. and was
always studying the tides. just as now;
and seemed TO be watching for something
that didn't occur; ana rnen or sudden
he dropped out Of sight \ week ago here
he was again. toddlinS in
Next day the winter sun was warm.
Mrs. Hatcher was an inspiring thing in
her bathing suit running down over the
sand Ike an antelope. more health in her
than in three ordinary men. And into the
sea she plunged shouting. her jolly, big
hollow5~chested husband after. When they
emerged, ycnler was old Jones gazing at
them through a window.
He makes me cold" shuddered Jennie,
stopping in laugh.
Then Jones peculiar head was thrust
FAR out over the roof Of Mrs. Miggs'
L., ,t1 %
widely bland, the head waged three times
othe north. Jones shut one eye as he
wagged.
Horrors What docs the creature
means said she.
But Hatcher roared with mcrriment.
He means TO hunt to the north. lie
said that there are 10 abalones to the
south.
Mercy. lets do it, and get out of his
sight" she sad and, went skimmins the
san dand LEAF ing the rocks, he after. in
the search of abalones.
After an hour. when she had been felled
by a bilov. she poked her glowing head
up through its crest-ard behold. the eye
of old Jones. OIu Jones was seated on
crag seventy feet high.
Horrors" she said. look ut him
Hatcher paused with a mammoth yell
low abalone in his hand and stood in
four feet of water. gazing up as though
Jones had been comet Old Jones hor-
ribie head was thrust out farther over
the uneven edge OF the precipice. and
wagged three times, majestic. yet ghast
Iy. to the north He shut one eye as he
wagged.
What a lugubrious mortal said she.
That night old Jones seemed feebler as
h sat ia Mrs Miggs house. mumbling
over his tide cards. Now and then his old
eye gael At Jennie suspicious and uu-
easy. She was so alarmingly healthy. 10
wonder she got upon the nerves of any
body SO near his grave as old Jones.
Mrs Miggs was stringing limpet shells
from the hanging lamp. Mrs. Mggs had
big. red crawfsh in n pan. Old Jones
went 40 bed in ramshackle way; his
head disappeared; his trunk; his legs
They heard his rusting footballs grow
faint in the haA above.
The walls Of thai house were very thin.
In the night Jennie Hatcher awoke from
her vigorous sleep with a sense of queer
ness But all she heard was old Joens
in a distant room humble and ramble in
wakefalness. and say: Two more days.
Oh me-
Had Mrs Hatcher not been enc of The
most extraordinary healthy women that
ever drew breath. she would have slept
no more. But she did sleep-shadesi how
Mrs. Harrison Thatcher could sleep.
The following afternoon. again in bath
tng suit and gamboiing beyond all rea-
son she went over the rocks with her