The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-09-04

| Clefe!
"Who can tell:" I answered. 1.-The
island may have remained unvisitec
since Sir Philips day"
But would treasure last so long?'
would last forever. Everything else
would have rotted away probably"
"How could we get there" she asked
IF you had Ship said |, wei
commanded and founded and manned
you could reach the spot without diff
Guilty"
How much would it cost|
Well, l quickly and roughly esti
mated in my mind the necessary out
lay. Such vessel as she would re-
quire might be bought for perhaps
$4,000 or $4,000. Provisioning and out
fitting, together with the pay of the Of
tcers and the crew, would require per
! haps 1880 or $4,000 more or Il total
| between five and six thousand pounds.
And she had but two! | was about to
tell her the prohibitive truth when
the solution of the problem suddenly
came to me. In one way or another
| had been Il fortunate vOyager, and
had saved up or earned by trading and
one or two adventures in which I had
taken part something over $4,000,
in London bank.
Il should think / said slowly, that
$4,000 would be ample to cover every
thing
"Ah," she said, EXACTLY the sum that
Master Ficklin said was left Of my
mothers fortune"
"Yes,' said l, and then l added in
duty bound, But you surely would not
be so foolish, Mistress Wherefore, as
to risk your all in this wild goose
chase?
If you were in my position, Mas
ter Hampton, what would you do"
II am a man. l answered. "ac-
customed to shift for myself. I might
take risk which l would not advise
you to essay
Il must shift for myself, too," she
said, her eyes sparkling. The Cod
dess Chance, which had ruined her
father, was evidently jogging her ell
bow. Indeed, shall take the chance
she persisted.
But you could easily live on $4,000
for a long WHILE" / urged, against my
wish. for was keen to go treasure
hunting with her for a shipmate.
Not such life as | crave. If |
cannot have enough for my desires I
would be worse off had 1 nothing"
Well, I as arguing against my
wishes from Il sense Of duty, so l at
last gave way After all, the treasure
might be there If so. it was hers.
and it would be a shame not to get it.
The pulse of adventure leaped in ny
veins
$50 be it." l said.
"Will you help me to make my ar
engagements? You are accustomed to
the sea. and
81 will do more than that" said 7.
with your gracious permission I will
go with you"
''To the iSland?'
"To the end of the world" replied
Whereat she stared at me a moment
then looked away.
She extended her hand to me and
! tried to Hiss it like a gentleman. I
made no doubt bIund,rny effort.
but at least it was that of an honest
man.
II must go and get ready to go to
Master Ficklins in the town. she
Bald softly. You know the hou:p
| nodded.
Come to me there tomorrow and
we will talk further about the prof.
ect."
When we preached the subject to
Master Ficklin the next day at his
house. he would not hear of it. He
examined the parchment with interest,
sooth. it had no legal backing and was
.ouched in the phraseology of the sea
;ather than in the dry verbiage Of the
aw. He pointed out that he had only
succeeded in saving this last $4,000 of
ny lady's fortune because lie had skill
ullt tOlltcileu us cAlSlcltc 1lOLu oil
Geoffrey. lie asked pertinently what
would happen to her when all was
zone and she had found no treasure, the
-ery existence Of which he affected to
lisbelieve.
A very hard headed, practical person
vas Master Ficklin. had stern ideas
If duty, too, and Master Ficklin's /
rood sense ever appealed to me. Yet
when did mere good sense ever appeal :
O a woman against her wish? Ny
ady had the gambling instinct, tool
Wonder she did not have it stronger,
ince twas in her blood!-and she
would fain challenge fortune. !
The end of it was she made over her
1000 to me without requiring me to
i've any bond. which Master Flick
IN would fain have insisted upon
nd which would have been embarras-
ing indeed for me, for my bond would
ave been my own capital, which l
vas going to embark in the enterprise
q secret. had saved up that money
With no one knows what foolish !
reams. I realized those dreams would