The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1916-04-07
FIRST EPISODE
On Windward Island.

the heat-baked dunes of Windward
island.
On the most westerly lip of that
island, shaded by a grove of rustling
eucalyptus trees, man and woman
stood staring across the beryltinted
sea-arm to where the shores of South
Carolina lay low and dim in the dis
lance.
You were not made for a life like
this" said the man, speaking with that
fulI-voweled softness peculiar to the
Italian voice. And equally soft were
the ardent Latin eyes which rested for
a moment on the milky wilderness 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
young woman, though into her eyes,
as the man at her side had spoken,
crept some deeper and subtler trouble
unknown to mere youth. Yet she an
Swered guardedly, for she stood vague
ly 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 bold
ness. IF you refuse to wake up to the
fact that your husband is mad. | am
physician, and 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
hooking for nitrate mine that never
existed, and never could exist in such
a place"
But my husbands workmen have
found traces of nitrate" protested
Mrs. Golden, fixed in her determine
tion of loyalty.
Palidori, the Italian, laughed softly.
And that nitrate. dear lady, was
planted there by Golden himself. For
your husband is deceiving you. He's
searching for gold, yellow gold, mil
lions of dollars worth of gold. But
that gold he will never find, for it
exists only in his imagination. He's
obsessed with the idea that some
where under these sands lies buried
treasure. He was weak enough to let
a few old maps and papers deceive
him into that belief But after all
these years, what has he found?"
81 cannot allow you to shake my
faith in my husband" declared the, un-
happy woman.
But what has he done to deserve
that faith? He's deceived you, along
with his blacks" The woman drew
hnn toll Mo ha nd
her arm. And in seeking his buried
gold he has neglected something much
more precious"
Il cannot listen to words like that"
protested the azure-eyed wife; Il will
not"
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 a great
levee like that to keep the open At
lantic 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 his? And what has all this mad
ness brought to you?"
Il think regret only the day that
brought you to Windward island" she
quietly replied, as their eyes met.
And l, too, shall regret that day
II it means l must go away empty
handed"
81 think my husband would kill you
fs he heard you speak to me like
this,"
Palidori shrugged shoulders.
He is at least watching us from the
porch of the manor house there" an
bounced the Italian. And that i
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 if what you say is true,
how should you know his maps and
papers are northeast"
Still again the Italian laughed his
soft laugh. ITO discover that, dear
lady. first brought me to this island.
But having discovered you, l no long
er 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. | merely ask that you hand me
your husbands keys. Then | will
bring to you bag of this Chilean nj
trate 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, nat
uraiiy. But If this is not true, why
should that inner room be so jealously
locked and guarded?'
ut is guarded only because the
Golden jewels are kept there" was
the triumphant retort; Jewels worth
a kings ransom!'
'Yet his loveliest jewel is not kept
under lock and key" murmured Pail
dori. He spoke more quietly as they
approached the manor house, knowing
Golden was watching. But a sudden
dangerous light leaped into his, dark
eyes. Listen! You are still afraid.
am afraid of nothing. And this is for
your own happiness. Unless you tell
me you will bring that key to the
shrubbery beyond the manor house
will take you in my arms here, under
your husbands eyes!"
Stop" cried the unhappy wife, as
h.