The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-11-14
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Clay.
Margaret was prepared FOR his
coming. and between them the
treasure was safely deposited in
the bank, at which Elliott felt an
incubus lifted from his mind. The
next step was to secure an ex-
perienced marine lawyer to for
ward their salvage claims.
This gentleman. after passing
through a stage of stupefaction at
their nnexampled scrupulosity, ad-
vised that a claim of 40 per cent Of
the value be made, in considera-
ton Of the circumstances of the
case. They made It; and then
there was long to wait. Red tape.
treasury tape, admiralty tape, civil
tape was unrolled to a dishearten-
ing length, and the new Transvaal
! crown colony even put in its claim,
/ as the original owner of the bull
lion. In the midst of the delay
Elliott received a message from
Henninger:
1--WE have disposed of all our
! goods" he wrote. Go ahead and
make the best terms you can
Hawke has gone to California to
start his bee farm. but he thinks
| he will look into a few mining deals
in Nevada before he gets there
Bennett is playing the races on a
system. / a msaving my money
at present, but see a chance to
double my money in Venezuela.
| Thn tr.co t.
and we're not at the end of the
rainbow yet"
And in England Elliott and Mar
garet were finding the latter stages
of the treasure trail long indeed
The salvage case took a great deal
of deciding; the courts haggled
over the percentage in a manner
it appeared to Elliott, highly I'M
worthy of the traditions of mighty
nation.
Ultimately, however, cNpprom-
Use was arrived at. The sEovern-
ment would pay 33 per cent; land
Elliott surrendered the bullion land
received back 100000, which, he
divided equally with Margaret.
Six days later they were at sea,
bound out of Southampton for New
York. n
Surely, Elliott thought, this was
the last of the long trail, a4 he
listened to the regular 'swish-
crash!" on the bows that had be-
come so odiously familiar; and he
determined that all should be sset-
tied before he sighted American
land.
eff I ever get ashore again. he
remarked tot Margaret, IN going
to the quietest, sleepiest country
town l can find, and never set eyes
on a steamer or a railway train
again as long as | live"
They were looking over the
stern, where night hal fallen on the
heaving swell. 1t had rained hard.
but was clearing; an obscured
moon family lit the sea.
And do some sort of good work.
You've got ability, money and ev-
cry chance of a happy life" said
Margaret.
Its in your hands," Elliott de.
clared, feeling his opportunity.
Its mott" she cried, vehemently
Its in your own. You're too
strong to depend on any one else
for your life's success. | don't
like to hear that"
Listen" said Elliott. "You
wouldn't let me say this when you
were poor; perhaps you'll hear it
now when you are rich. | was go
ing to give UP every cent of my
share of the gold to try to. please
you-to do what you thought was
square. I'd have given UP the
whole shipload-no, that's alb
surdly small for there simply isn't
anything in the world, past, pres
ent or future, that | wouldn't give
up and call it a good bargain if it
would make you care for me a lit
tie. The best time | ever had was
when | was luckily able to help you
and now | could almost find it in
my heart to be sorry that you have
all you need, and don't need me
any more.
She touched his arm ever so gen.
thy, and he turned and looked
squarely at her.
Not need you-you!' was all
she said.
The sudden thrOb of his heart
made him gasp. The deck was full
of peopl, but he put his hand hard
down upon hers as it lay son the
rail, and he felt her fingers Curl up
into his palm. a.
BE careful" said she, with a
new, subtle thrill in her voice. "Oh,
look!"
From the clearing sky astern the
moon was now pouring full. glo.
rious food upon the heaving At
lantic, where the heavy swell ran
in ivory crested combers. In the
pure white light the foam glitter
ed with prismatic colors, wave aft
er wave, like long broken rain
bow fallen upon the sea, and
sparkling with the streaks III phos'
phorescence of the steamers wake.
THE rainbow road" as Hehnin'
ger calls it; "the treasure trail,
said Elliott. THE trails ended. "
But Margaret shook her head.
"No," she said. THE rainbow
road has Just begun"
|