The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-04-07

htthalig affaid 10 tan III ii1le
peeufTenee shonld prove 8 a. fgon1
Nhieh ! chance word miSAt Geaiken
Us Three million p6se6 AOro. actu-
any here; almost within roAeh q eur
hands; they were digging fog ther
Just below; even then, II. the glISlee,
we could hear the faint peho q blows
being struck against the fee. Ttres
million pesosi-and # was al ours.
our very own-to divide, y SDsad. 70
DO with exactly as We pleased. We
had dreamed about all this bsforo. on
the decks Of the Inflated aea Queen,
but now we sought to grasp II a. an
actual existing fact, and Ow Minds
seemed paralyzed by Tie knoWledGe.
| even forgot that Doris Whs present
until she touched me gently On the
shoulder. and looked doWn IntO her
questioning eyes.
DO you not know WIZ We have
Just discovered below?" SHED. sill
tinEling to the marvel 4 4 The
treasure, the Spanish tOaOlFO!"
"oh, yes" but the son VotOO seemed
dnged with sadness. 'YOtM 49, not
greatly interest me. MOAsy OsDS %
little here, so utterly vGlussosA"
The simple words, the 49, & 6Olr
utterance brought me - AySsa 40
though had received - dSStrfo
shock. She was still NlNAG, re- ali
at once l noticed how Witt ~ laes
was, how dark the shadSWS bsooath
her eyes. The lure Of ~ ~ van
ished from my mind, az Z Bo0S wiz
ards wand had waved Il nVaT. 1
thought Of the treacherOas ~ With
out, the life and death StrIsSIs bofere
us, those dreary leagues Separating US
from hope. My hands. GlAsDoA hers,
the expression of love IN N eyes
frightening her face Instantly.
THAT is so much better, JRdE," she
said tenderly. 81 knew Il WAa emily
the madness Of moment which
caused you to forget. Come cut on
deck with me until you lose all mem.
DRY OF it-until I bring yOu back to.
real life again."
II do not need 1t, sweetheart and
I bent low, looking into her eyes. The
fever has left my blood. hardly
know how it ever laid such hold upon
me, but the thought of all that wealth
below drove me as mad as the others.
You see how much l need you"
"Oh, no; you would have recovered
without my help, although 1t might
have required more time to complete
cure. But fear there Is no hope
for the men,"
II certainly shall not spare you to
minister to them"
She laughed, her happiness Of dispo-
sition returning.
That would be useless; they arc Of
different stamp, The fever for sudden
wealth is in the blood OF all of us.
See how excited Celeste Is. Perhaps
II I had ever experienced poverty
might be crazed also. But II is so
foolish here-here," and she swept
her hands about In comprehensive ges-
ture, when we know, it can be ours
only for a day, or at most week"
But we have not given up hope
protested. why should we? The
Donna Isabel seems stanch beneath
u.s."
Even In case of that miracle want
nothing to do with this treasure" she
said gravely. 1T seems to me, Jack,
there must be curse upon that gold
below. 1t will never do good to any
human being. It was stolen by the
sword. won for Spain by the shedding
of blood, and has since cursed this
ship and all who sailed in her. The
living and the dead guarded It, and
now we have come into its evil clutch.
1t is not superstition but faith which
makes me say this-the Donna Isabel
will never make port; that gold be.
low will never do soul on board
anything but harm. wish 1t could
be left where 1t is. buried in the ice.'
AT such suggestion the men
would mutiny."
~ suppose So" she acknowledged
sadly. land the end will be the same
in either case. But want you to be
different. Let them build their air
castles; but do you come out on deck
with me, where the sen and sky will
give US other thoughts"
ComprehendIng only vaguely what
she meant, yet beneath the wltchiug
spell Of her presence l went gladly
enough, forgetting utterly that useless
treasure imbedhfd in the Ice below.
.
ITO Be Contlnued.)