The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-05-21
(Copyrtght, 1916, 5y Arthur StrtngerI FIRST EPISODE.
 On Wind1narG Island


 channel waters and struck in- land to cool the heat-baked dunes of Windward Island.
 On the most westerly lip of that island, shaded by a grove of rustlihg eucalyptus trees, a man and woman stood staring across the beryl-tinted sea-arm to where the shores of South Carolina lay low ana dim in the dis tance.
 You were not made for a life like this," said the man, speaking with that full-voweled softness peculiar to the Italian voice. And equally soft were the ardent Latin eyes which rested for a moment in the milky whiteness of the woman's open throat.
 'It's the only life I've known for nine long years," she answered, with out looking at him. She was still a young woman, though into her eyes, as the man at her side had spoken. crept some deeper and subtler trou- ble unknown to mere youth. Yet she answered guardedly, for she stood vaguely in fear of this soft eyed Italian, with the hint of iron beneath the velvet of his voice. And it's the only life you ever will know" he declared with sudden boldness, If you. refuse to wake up to the fact that your husband is mad. am a physician, and I know. No sane man brings a woman to an island like this, to an island that's only fit for clans and seagulls, and spends the best years of his life yes, and her life-looking for a ni- trate mine that never existed and never could exist in such a place.
 
 And that nitrate, dear lady, was planted there by Golden himself. For your husband is deceiving you-de- ceiving you the same as he deceives that army of negro workers. That army digs in the sand, acre by acre, week by week and month by month, but Golden never even expected to find nitrate mine.''
 That's not true," cried the startled woman.
 Again the Italian laughed.
 There's more than that is true. This man is digging and tunneling through these miles of empty sand for something far different to nj trates. He's searching for gold, vel low gold-millions of dollars worth of gold. But that gold he will never find, for it exists only in his imagina- ton. He's obsessed with the idea that somewhere under these sands lies buried treasure. He was weak enough to let few old maps and papers deceive him into that belief. But after all these years, what has he found?"
 'I cannot allow you to shake my faith in my husband" declared the unhappy woman.
 "But what has he done to deserve that faith? He's deceived you, along with his blacks" The woman drew back as the Italian placed @ hand on her arm. And in seeking his buried gold he has neglected some thing much more precious"
 T cannot listen to words like that protested the azure-eyed wife. T will not!"
 That's because you are afraid of the truth. Why do you suppose Golden has spent thousands and thou sands in saving this miserable island from the ocean? Why has he put up seawalls and dykes, and constructed a great levee like that to keep the OpSA AIlduIlC lIOLl oIlCIOdCullI6 Ol these precious sand fields of his at every high tide? Why, except to keep the water back from that buried treasure of his? And what has all this madness brought to you?"
 4 4 q think I regret only the day that brought you to Windward Island," she quietly replied as their eyes met.
 tFAnd ho1 hot dox it means I must go away empty handed"
 T think my husband would kill you if he heard you speak to me like this!" Palidori shrugged shoulder.
 ''He is at least watching us from the porch of the manor house there," announced the Italian. And that must accept as a compliment"
 T cannot believe you or believe in you! Even if what you say is true, how should you know his maps and papers are worthless?"
 Still again the Italian laughed his soft laugh. "To discover that, dear lady. first brought me to this island. But having discovered you, I no longer lament the loss of mere gold!" But you are taking something worth more than gold away from me- You are robbing me of my trust in my husband"
 Only, signora, that light may bring you liberty! But, listen; if you doubt me, l merely ask that you hand me your husbands keys. Then I will bring to you a bag of this Chilean nitrate that he keeps hidden away in his inner study, that he scatterS about in the plantation sands to salt his famous mine with. You hesitate, naturally. But if this is not true, why should that inner room be so Jealously locked and guarded?"
 Tt IS guarded only because the Golden jewels are kept there," was the triumphant retort-"jewels worth kings ransomi"
 Yet his loveliest jewel is not kent under lock and key" murmured Pail dori He spoke more quietly as they approached the manor house, know ing Golden was watching. But a sudden dangerous light leaped into his dark eyes. Listen! You are sill afraid. I am afraid of nothing. And this is for your own happiness. Un- less you tell me you will bring that key to the shrubbery beyond the manor house, I will take you in my arms here, under your husbands eyes!"
 She hesitated, white faced, as he repeated the command.
 Yes" she gasped as fair-haired child of ran lightly from the manor house steps to meet her mother.
 Palidori, lighting a cigaret, turned carelessly away and sauntered to-