The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-08-23

his death. I stood open, mouthed with surprise and shame at my care less forgetfulness, and stared at her.
 What is it?" she asked, instantly noting my amaze.
 'I am a fool, madam, a blundering fool,' said I, drawing forth the paper, there is a letter edd1essed to you which I should have delivered at opce," continued, extending it toward her.
 She tore open the envelope as she spoke and drew forth a letter, un- folded it and there dropped from it a little piece of parchment which I in stantly picked up and extended to her, but she was so engrossed in the letter that she did not see my action and paid no attention to my outstretched 7 hand.
 ' looked at the parchment I held in my hand. It was evidently the half of larger sheet which had been torn in two. The right half was in my possession. A glance showed me that it was part of rudely drawn map, apparently of an island, although lack, ing the other half of that could not be quite certain. It was 1ettered in characters which were very old and quaint, and some figures in the upper left hand corner gave a latitude. The outlines of the map and the letters and figures were all very dim and faded.
 My lady's letter was short one, for she looked up from it presently, her eyes filled with tears, the first had seen there. and for that reason I was glad she should enjoy this relief. I suppose the fact that she was so alone and had no one else induced her to
 
 ed the paper to me.
 Read it,' she said. "'Tis my fa- ther's last word to me-
 took it from her, and this is what I read:
 France once said, ..Everything is lost but honor,'' and that trembles in the balance I have speculated, gambled. tempted for. tune, first because I loved it and at last hoping to win for you. But everything has gone wrong. You are penniless- Even l your mothers fortune, of which she fool ishly made me trustee, has followed my own Master Fickltn may save some thing from the wreck. I hope so. can E the best thing can do for you is to leave you. May God help you since I cannot. Your shaTned and unhappy father,
 GEOFFREX WILBERFORCE ] Post Scriptun.-Fhe last thing that possess is this scrap of parchment It has been handed down from father to son
 
 is lost, but tAare has always been at tached to it a singular value. Perhaps some day the missing part may turn up At any rate. of all that once had this is children pass it to them foolish re- quest, but am moved to make it as my father made it to me. G. w.
 read it slowly It was not brave mans letter. I liked Sir Geonrey less then than ever before Some of the | T al fOa- the family went out of my heart then.
 "Here,'' said I, sfs the inclosure to which your father refers.'' She took it hstlessIy, but as her } glance fell upon it her face brightened. Why" she exclaimed, brushing aside her tears, "I have the other half. Ii came to me from my mother. When she died, five years ago, she gave it to me with much the same account as my , father gives, I have never shown it to any one-never mentioned it even.'' Why not?" asked.
 q scarcely know. It was valueless. } I attached no special importance to it. 2 But now, now''-
 7 ''It is miracle" I said, that the two pieces should have come together [ ill your hands," r q don't yet undeft and what it all means,'' she said, 'but''- Meanwhile" said I, may respect 3 fully suggest that you get the other } piece and let me look at it.' l Your she flashed out in one o. those sudden changes of mood, some times so delightful and sometimes the ] reverse.
 } 'T am a seafaring man, as you know : mistress,'' said I humbly, "and I an 3 accustomed to study maps and charts t Perhaps this may contain information a vital to your. fortunes which can de
 cipher more easily than another" Q She nodded and went rsuidly out O [ the room. In a few moments she cam
 back with another piece of parchment t I placed them side by side, and th l torn and jagged edges fitted into eacl 3 other perfectly. I had laid them ol a table and we bent over them in grea 5 excitem ment-excitemen on my par l, caused by her proximity rather thal
 by the faded, yellow sheepskin- l ''It is an islandI' she exclaimed. I 4eYes," said I.
 : s'Where is it P she asked. 5 pointed with nay huge index fnge t to the figures in the upper left han r corner and the upper right hand col l. l neE marked respectively latitude an