The Press., 1912-07-10
Sweeney s Ghost "Dead Men Tell No
 Tales"
By CLARISSA MAcKIE

tling with frenZied winds and wild gray seas the shabby little steamer Marygold fell upon the white reefs of Sugar island and pounded out her fee ble life. ..
 Early dawn found Captain Shaleb BainS and his first mate digging a shallow trench in the snowy sand of the islands curving beach. Beside the trench there lay dripping form roughly lashed to the Marygold's for ward hatch,
 The mate paused in his digging and
 flung aside the empty turtle shell that had served as a spade. He pulled out knife, cut the lashings and hurriedly rolled the inert form into the shallow grave.
 "'Twas Sweeney" he announced briefly to the captain, and the big fat man nodded carelessly.
 "What's that stuff out there?" asked Bains, pointing a heavy fore6nger.
 Broken spars and scraps of the wa terlogged tubs you called lifeboats," growled the mate.
 "You ought to be thankful, Peter. You ought to get down on your knees, man, because this is all the best luck you ever had" Bains' fishy eyes al- most glowed with excitement.
 Thankful for what? Because the expedition has failed? We can never get to Sugar island now"
 Bains smiled triHmphantly. We're on Sugar island this minute" he an nounced.
 The mate stared. "Nor' he yelled.
 "Yes," assured the captain, drawing water tight metal case from his pocket. "Just look at the map. All we got to do is to locate the palm un- der which the pearls are buried and wait until somebody comes and takes us of. We'll be rich, Peter, much richer than if the pearls had to be di- vided into eight parts. It's half and half now"
 That evening they sat in the shelter of huge rock and watched the moon rising out of a quiet bosomed ocean. Both were smoking furiously and say ing little. It had been a hard day in many ways. They had found rather unpalatable shellfish and plenty of CO., coanuts to eat and tinkling Till of sweet water. They had not found the pearls, although they had dug feverish- ly all around the roots of the giant palm.
 ''The map says under the largest palm," insisted Captain BaIAs in re- sponse to Peters skeptical mood.
 "It wasn't there''- Peter was begin ming when all at once he stopped short and pointed at something dark and shadowy that approached them out of the white beauty of the night.
 What's that?" he gasped.
 "Ahoy, therew piped feeble voice from the shadow.
 "WhO Is it2' boomed the deep voice of Rains.
 "'Tis Sweeney" came from the near ing shadow.
 The two men under the. rock leaped forth and scrambled around to safety. Little thrills of superstitious horror chilled their blood.
 "You lieP' quavered Peter Darrow "SWeeney's dead"
 we buried him." chimed in Rains.
 "Then I'm rig from tn dead and thankful so to be whln tn waves wash ed over me there was tucked away as snug as ye blaze in a grave. Twas rayther premayture, may say" And the words were mingled with Dennis Sweeney's unmistakable chuckle
 The two men conferred in grumbIing tones.
 "Tm thankful for tn warrum vel come extended to noe, seein' I've re- turned from tn grave. It's been a long day to lay dryin' In tn sun wishin' for bite or a SUD-" It was Sweeney's sarcasm that convinced his shipmates that he had indeed escaped death, but the greed of gain overcame any scru- pies they might otherwise have had
 "Sweeney's dead" insisted Peter Darrow obst1nately, all the terror gone from his voice. "If you're his ghost you can keep to yourself. We don't want you around herew
 "No more we don'tp' emphasized Bains roughly.
 "Indadew purred Sweeney's voice. | And might I ask If us three are tn only ones saved from tn poor Mary goldr
 "Only two was saved-Captain Bains and me-" returned Darrow signif- l cantly.
 How about me-don't I count?"
 You're deadp' Darrow's voice was final.
 "'Twas a legal burial-I can swear to it," added Bains ponderously.
 Aye" said the voice of Sweeney, | ~yez can swear till yez black in tn face, yes blasphemin' ould pirate, but | worruds won't kill Dinnis Sweeney!' And the form of Sweeney receded down the beach, accompanied by very | audible footsteps.
 "You should have dng 1t de0nar" complained Captain Rains querulousIy as he joined Darrow in a walk around to the opposite side of the island.
 How did know he wasn't deadY" demanded Peter impatIently. Then in worried tones he went on: "I suppose he'll be watching us all the time. Meb- be he'll expect share of the pearls" How Is he to know we're on Sugar lslandY daeried Rains craftily. "He wouldn't suspect that we was wrecked on the very island we was bound for"
 Aye, and he better take care he don't suspect!' threatened Peter Dar- row.
 Several days passed in a fruitIess search after the hidden treasure of pearls. They dug around the roots of all the largest palms.
 There came one fair morning after two days of screaming hurricane weather, when Peter Darrow leaped high in the air and yelled with excite ment
 ''The palm tree! The big palm has blown over?' he announced to his com panion. "NOw we can get at the rootsr' Captain Rains turned a sOiled and head toward his first mate, His eyes were bloodShOt. and he wast Ira NR y1,1l