Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1918-08-22
make a move at once, while we nav
the strength"

SNN eSASASSA
Rosa had not asked the source
whence came the blessed food which
was bringing the life blood back into
her body, and although that food was
not much-a little meal, a plantain, an
occasional scrap of meat or fsh-it had
never occurred to her that the supply
might be limited. She met the prob
lem bravely, however.
II have been close to death so long
that it means little to me-" she con-
fessed. 81 have you, and-well, with
you at my side I can face the worst"
ooh, we won't give up until we have
to-" he assured her. eff I had money
it would be a simple proposition to
bride some guard to pass us through
the lines, but 1 have spent all that Cen
eral Betancourt gave me-" He
| smoothed back Rosa's dark hair and
| smiled reassuringly at her. swell, I'll
manage somehow 81 don't worry your
pretty head. I'll find the price, If I
have to waylay old Don Mario and rob
him. Don't you think I look like a
bandit? The very sight Of me would
terrify that fat rascal"
"To me you are beautiful" breathed
the girl. Then she lowered her eyes.
LA, la! How I spoil you! I have
quite forgotten how to be ladylike. Isa-
bel was right when she called me a
bold and forward hussy. Now, then,
please turn your face aside, for I wish
to think, and so long as you look ut
me I cannot-I make love to you bra
zenly. See! Now, then, that is much
better. I shall hold your hand, so.
When I kiss it you may look at me
again, for a moment" Drawing her.
self closer to O'Reilly, Rosa began
thoughtfully Before you came I more
than once was on the point Of appeal
ing to some of my former friends, but
they are all Spaniards and we are no
longer-simpatico, you understand"
Rosa paused for his answer.
Perfectly; I'm in the same fix. OF
all the people I used to know there
isn't one but would denounce me If I
made myself known. Now that I've
been fighting with the insurrectos, I
daren't even go to the American consul
for help-if there is an American con-
sui" ,"r-~@~At'r-ess )
Rosa nodded, then continued, hest
%tatingly: 81 had a vivid dream last
night. Perhaps it was a portent. Who
knows? 1t was about that stepmother
of mine. You remember how she met
her death? I wrote you
;. "Yes, and Esteban also told me-"
"It was he who recovered her body
from the we'll. One day, while we
were in hiding, away up yonder in the
Yumuri, he showed me an old COIN
! II know" O'Reilly said quickly. "He
) told me the whole story. He thinks
that doubloon is a clue to your fathers
, fortune, butt can't put much faith in
it. In fact, I didn't believe until this
: moment that there was a doubloon at
ALL" .-~~
4 ooh, indeed there was! / saw it."
There was a moment Of silence dur
! Ing which the lovers were oblivious to
all but each other, then Rosa mur-
INJURED: How strange! Sometimes
your eyes are blue and sometimes gray.
Does that mean that your love, too,
can changer?
"Certainly NOT. But come, what
about Esteban and that doubloon?"
With an effort the girl brought her.
self back to earth. "Well. it occurred
to me, in the light Of that dream last
night, that Esteban may have been
right. Of course nobody outside of
our family credits the old story, and
yet my father was considered a very
rich man at one time. Pancho Cueto
believed in the existence of the treas
ure, and he was in a position to know"
"True! Perhaps, after all"
O'Reilly frowned meditatively.
Rosa lifted herself upon her elbow,
. her eyes sparkling. wouldn't it be
wonderful if it were true? Just think,
O'Reilly, cases of Spanish gold, silver
coins In casks, packages of gems. Oh,
I've heard Isabel talk about it often
enough"
Don't forget those pearls from the
Caribbean, as large as plums," Johnny
smiled. Il could never quite swallow
that. A pearl the size Of a currant
"ouAO Duy JUL 1TceuOLu tight uOW.
After a moment he went IN, more seri-
ously: "Ive a notion to look into that
old well this very afternoon. II
dare say I'm foolish, but-somehow
the story doesn't sound so improbable
as 1t did. Perhaps it is worth inves-
tigating-" He made up his mind
swiftly. "I-I'm off this very instant"
When O'Reilly emerged from the hut
he found Jacket industriously at work
over a fragment Of g%rindstone which
he had somewhere unearthed. The boy
looked up at his friends approach and
held out for inspection q long, thin file,
which he was slowly shaping into a
knife-blade.
"What do you think Of that?" he
querted proudly. ut may come In
handy when we are ready to clear out
Of this peSthOle."