The Elbert County tribune., 1916-06-02
FIRST EPISODE
On Windward Island.


The sea wind, freshening as the
sun fell low. rifiled the shallower chan
mel waters and struck inland to cool
the heat-baked dunes OF Windward
eaiAnd.
On the most westerly lip of that
island. shaded by a grove OF rustling
eucalyptus trees. a man and woman
stood staring across the beryl-tinted
sea-arm to where the shores of South
Carolina lay low and dim In the dis
eance.
"Y0u were not made for a life like
Chis." said the man. speaking with that
fuil-voweled softness peculiar to the
ttalian voice.
"Tt's the only life I've known for
nine long years." she answered. with
out looking at him.
And it's the only life you ever will
KNOW" he declared with sudden bold
ness. 'if you refuse to wake up to the
fact that your husband Is mad. I am
q physician. and know. No sane man
brings a woman to an island like this.
Go an island that's only fit for CLAIMS
and seagulIs. and spends the best
cooking for q nitrate mine that never
existed. and never could exist in such
q place."
"But my husbands workmen have
found traces OF nitrate" protested
Mrs Golden. fixed In her determina-
tion of loyalty.
Palidori. the Italian. laughed softly.
"And that nitrate, dear lady. was
planted there by Golden himself. For
your husband is decelying you. He's
searching for gold. yellow gold. mil
Hons of dollars worth of gold. But
chat gold he will never find. for 1t
exists only In his imagination"
"I cannot listen to words like that"
protested the azure-eyed wife; II will
uoti"
That's because you are afraid OF
the truth. Why do you suppose Golden
has spent thousands and thousands in
saving his miserable island from the
ocean, Why has he put up seawalls
and dykes. and constructed n great
xeyee like that to keep the open At
fantic from encroaching on these
precious sand fields of his. at every
high tide? Why, except to keep the
water back from that buried treasure
Of hisf And what has all this mad
ness brought to your
Fl think regret only the day that
brought you to Windward island" she
quietly replied. as their eyes met.
"And I. too, shall regret that day
II it means must go away empty
handed"
al think my husband would kill you
II he heard You speak to me like
thfs!"
Palidori shrugged shoulders.
He is Mt least watching US from the
porch or the manor house there an
nounced the Italian. "And that /
must accept as a compliment"
'"Then we must go back" said the
woman. visibly alarmed.
"And you go back not believing in
me?" asked Palidori as he walked be-
side her.
Il cannot believe you or believe in
you! Even II what you say Is true.
how should you know his maps and
papers are worthlessf"
''If you doubt me. merely ask that
you hand me your husbands keys.
Then will bring to you bag of this
Chilean nitrate that he keeps hidden
away in his inner study, that he scat
ters about in the plantation sands to
salt his famous mine with. You hesi-
tate. naturally. But II this is not true.
why should that inner room be 80
lealously locked and guarded"
at is guarded only because the
Golden Jewels are kept there" was
the triumphant retort: "jewels worth
d kings ransom!"
yet his loveliest Jewel is not kept
under lock and key" murmured Pail
dori. Unless you tell me you will
bring that key to the shrubbery be-
yond the manor house will take you
In my arms here. under your husbands
eyes!"
"Etop!" cried the unhappy wife. as
he stepped closer to her.
".Will you bring the key?" for Pail
Aori knew that Jewels worth a kings
ransom were also worth one final ef-
tort.
She hesitated. white-faced. as he re-
peated the command.
EYES," she gasped. as a fair-haired
child of six ran lightly from the manor
house steps to meet her mother.
Palidori, lighting a cigarette. turned
carelessly away and sauntered to-
ward the shrubbery of the eastern
point Margory. the fair-haired child.
chartered and futtered birdlike about
her silent mother AZ she approached
the house and passed inside. But on
the wide loggia Enoch Golden. stern
syed and grim-lipped. paced back and
forth. scared by the fires of Jealous
suspicious. He wheeled about and
atrode into the house.