Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-09-20

therei"
Who can tell:" answered. 1.-THE !
island may have remained unvisited |
since Sir Philips day"
But would treasure last so long?"
STORED in a cave gold and silver
would last forever. Everything else
would have rotted away probably"
How could we get there:" she asked.
"If you had ship" said /, well
commanded and founded and manned
you could reach the spot without diff
Guilty"
How much would it cost?"
Well. I quickly and roughly esti-
mated in my mind the necessary out
lay. Such vessel as she would re-
Quire might be bought for perhaps
1880 or $4,000. Provisioning and but
fitting, together with the pay of the Of
fcers and the crew, would require per-
haps 1900 or $4,000 more, or a 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 10 me. In one way or another
had been a fortunate voyager, and
had saved up or earned by trading and
one or two adventures in which had
taken part something over $4,000,
which was safely lodged to my credit
In London bank.
81 should think" I 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 /, and then I added in
duty bound, "But you surely would not
be so foolish, Mistress Wherefore, as
! to risk your all in this wild goose
chaser
IF you were in my position, Mas
ter Hampton. what would you do?'
81 am a man." l answered, "ac-
customed to shift for myself. I might
take risk which / would not advise
you to essay"
u must shift for myself, too." she
said, her eyes sparkling. The God
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 long while" urged, against my
wish, for was keen to go a treasure
! hunting with her for shipmate.
Not such life as l crave. If
| cannot have enough for my desires
would be worse of had I nothing
Well, I was arguing against my
! -iShn 80 l,,fr 7 NJ
last gave way. After all, the treasure
might be there. If so. it was hers,
and it would be q shame not to get it.
The pulse of adventure leaped in my
veins.
$50 be it." I said.
"Win you help me to make my ar
rangementsf You are accustomed to
the sea, and
81 will do more than that" said I.
with your gracious permission 1 will
go with you
ITO the island:"
ITO the end of the world" replied.
Whereat sra stared at me moment,
then looked away
She extended her hand to me and
tried to kiss it like a gentleman. l
made. no doubt. laundering effort.
but at least it was that of an honest
man.
~ must go and get ready to go to
Master Fickin's in the town." she
said softly. You know the house,
1 nodded.
Come to ne 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,
but poohpoohed the tale because, for.
sooth, it had no legal backing and was
couched in the phraseology of the sea
rather than in the dry verbiage of the
law. He pointed out that he had only
succeeded in saving this last $1,000 of
my lady's fortune because he had skill
fully concealed its existence from Sir
Godfrey. He asked pertinently what
would happen to her when all was
gone and she had found no treasure, the
very existence of which he affected to
disbelieve.
A very hard headed, practical person
was Master Ficklin. / had stern ideas
of duty, too, and Master Ficklins
good sense ever appealed to me. Yet
when did mere good sense ever appeal
to a woman against her wish? My
lady had the gambling instinct, tool
wonder she did not have it stronger,
since twas in her blood!-and she
would fain challenge fortune.
The end of it was she made over her
$4,000 to me without requiring me to
give any bond, which Master Flick
lin would fain have insisted upon
and which would have been embarras.
sing indeed for me, for my bond would
have been my own capital, which
was going to embark in the enterprise
in secret. had saved up that money
with no one knows what foolish
dreams. / realized those dreams would
come to naught. had no one depend
ent upon me. Brother or sister never
enjoyed, and father and mother were
both dead. What need had fol
money? Let her have 1t whose need
was great and whose desire was great
er. might have bargained for a share
Of the treasure did we find auy. but ]