Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-11

completely for granted-came to him with sep
arate little thrill of pleasure. And then there
the girl, whose spell was potent enough to have
made crust a deal table banquet.
In the silent intervals while they listened to
the strains of music drifting through the doorway
Smith searched his stock of adJectives to find one
that would fit her; but he thought of would
quite do She never stayed exactly the same long
enough to be pinned fast by single word, and he
finally abandoned the attempt.
She made him happy just by being there. he
was sure of that but somehow the word happiness
itself had changed its meaning little just because
of her. 1t longer meant to be contented, to
have things wanted them: it meant to be
more alive, to and hear and feel and understand
wildly.
THE talk was easy, fragmentary, altogether casual
A good deal of it. naturally enough, about
Calico Jack The girls mind was still lazily occu-
pied with the theme. and Beaumont himself in
1nockery of his daughters interest, pretending
to take the old pirate very seriously.
Il should think it would make you rather wild"
said the girl Ito think that all that treasure is
buried somewhere right in your island. Don't you
dream about it nights"
If he does said her father, "you will never
get him to admit it" Then he turned to Smith,
with smile. Il suppose he said, that good,
Industrious reasonably successful pirate might have
accumulated and left behind much as forty thou
sand dollars Is that putting it too high"
Undoubtedly Smith admitted, the best of
them would be reckoned rather small potatoes in
day. But there is tradition that causes Calico
lack to be taken little more seriously. ship
ment of bullion amounting to nearly half million
pounds made from this port IN the ship Santa
Rosa. She never was seen or spoken after the day
she cleared this port, and there pretty widely
held belief that Calico Jack could have accounted
for her disappearance. He never admitted it. and
none of his ever did, except those who were
quite willing to anything in the hope of
saving their necks. OF course navigation in
these waters very dangerous in those days,
and the Santa Rosa may have gone down with all
board before Calico Jack ever caught a glimpse
of her. On the other hand, she may not have gone
sengers had walked. bound and blindfolded, off the
end of plank placed over the bulwarks. If Calico
Jack did it at all, he made very clean job"
The girl shivered little. Somehow Smiths
words made pirate seem rather less of joke.
Half million pounds, unused Beaumont. two
million five hundred thousand dollars-no, he
didn't do it. If he had, they'd have been able to
get proof of it
Il don't know" said Smith. He rather
remarkable man. At any rate the colonial Gov
eminent took the story seriously enough to make
number of very earnest and systematic attempts
to it. Even title to the island contains
a reference to it. 1t expressly provides that any
treasure of coin bullion found the island shall
revert to the crown, and that half of the amount
found shall be given to the Under reward except
that the reward cannot be claimed by our company,
but must be paid to the individual discoverer."
And can YOU live there Christabel demanded.
and not spend all your time hunting
for it"
n If l did, Smith answered. you
::: e.: I; Is: {: :: n
NJ there and find it myself!
Her father laughed ''Mr. Smith has
just been inviting to go over there, he said. Il
suppose the invitation might be stretched to include
Oh, p1ease!" she said Then she turned to her
father Do you dare?" she asked. Don't you