The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1918-09-20

~SA- 80
how ! tainted. Some good people found
me Z few hours after I lost conscious.
nees. They supposed I had bean At
tackled BY guerrillas and left FOR dead.
Finding that I still had life In me, they
took me home with them. They were
old friends from Matnnxas By the
name Of valdes-cultured people who
had Ned the city and were hiding in the
manigua like the rest Of u.s.
Not valdes, the notaryrs
The very same. Alberto valdes and
his four daughters. Heaven guided
them to me. Alberto was an old man;
he had hard work TO provide food for
his girls. Nevertheless, he refused to
abandon me. Oh, they wers faithful.
patient peoplel You zee. I had walked
east instead Of west, and now I was
miles away from home, and the coun-
try between was warming with Span
iards who we're burning. destroying,
killing. You wouldn't know Natanxas,
OyReilly. It 10 Z desert.
Il finally became able to drag myself.
around the hut. But I had no means
Of sending word to Rosa, and the IN
certainty nearly made me crazy. Ny
clothes had rotted from me; my bones
were Just under the skin. I must have
been . shocking sight. Then one day
there came . fellow travelling east with
messages for Comes. He was. one Of
Lopez men. and he told me that Lo-
peg had gone to the Rubi Hills with
Maceo, and that there were none Of
q men left In the province. He told
me other things, too. It was from him
that I learned" Esteban varona's
thin hands clutched the edges Of his
hammock and he rolled his head weak
~ from side to side. ut was he who
told me about Rosa. He said that Cobo
had ravaged the Yumuri and that my
sister-was gone!"
There, there! We know better now"
O'Reilly said, soothingly.
ut was a hideous story, q story Of
rape. murder. l wonder that I didn't
60 mad. It eve occurred to me to
doubt, and as q matter Of fact the fel-
low was honest enough; he really be-
lieved what he told me. After the
man had finished / felt the desire to
get away from all I had known and
loved, to leave Matanxas for new fields
and give what was left Of me to the
cause. I was free to enlist, since I
couldn't reach Lopez, and I came to
Join bur forces IN the Orient.
"That II how you found me In this
province. Lopez man never delivered
these dispatches. for we were taken
crossing the trocha-at least I was
taken, for Pablo was killed. They'd
have made an end Of me, too, l dare
say, only I was so weak. It seems a
century since that night. My memory
doesn't serve me very well from that
point, for they jhiled me, and I grew
worse. ! was ont Of my head . good
deal"
The two men fell silent FOR q while.
Esteban lay with closed eyes, exhaust
ed. O'Reilly gave himself up to frown-
ins thought His thoughts were not
pleasant; he could not. for the life Of
him. believe In Rosa's safety % I'm
plicitly q . he had led Esteban to sup
pose: his efforts 60 cheer the other
had sapped his own supply Of hope,
leaving him q prey to black misgivings.
He was glad when Norine Evans re-
turn put an end to his speculations.
"Have you narrowed this poor mans
feelings ~suflciently for once1" she In
quired Of O'Reilly.
II have. I'll agree 20 talk about
nothing unpleasant hereafter"
Esteban turned to his nurse. sThsre
= something ] want to tall You both"
"Wait until tomorrow" Norins ad-
vised.
But he persisted: sNol must tell
Il nov. First, however, did either Of
you discover IN old coin In any Of my
pockets-an old Spanish doubloon1''
THAT doubloon again. Nortne lift
ed her hands protestingiy, and cast .
meaning look at Orally. You talked
about nothing else for Z whole week.
Let me feel your pulse"
Esteban surrendered his hand with
suspicious readiness
You were nat broke when We rot
you," OyReilly declared.
Probably. ! seem 70 remember that
somebody stole Il"
sDoubloons! Pieces Of eight Gold.
en- guineasl" exclaimed Norine. why
those are pirate coinsl They remind
me Of Treasure Island: Of Long John
Silver and his wooden leg; Of Zen
Gum and all the rest
Esteban smiled uncomprehendingly.
TEST Well. this has to do with treas.
ure Of the varonas. Ny father buried
Il He was very rich. you know, and
he was afraid Of the S~paniards. O'Reil-
II knows the story"
Johnnie assented With grunt.
"SuroI know m about T."
CTo IN CoNTzNUED)
Dent Ae)e Personal ouooelo0A
Never presume upon your intimacy
With an0ther 70 ask personal ques.
49, 49, $500 A-A--A-