Meade County news., 1918-08-22

"Why, you haven't changed at all,
except to grow more beautiful. Evan
gellna is right; you are TOO beautiful
to look at. But wait" He drew her
aside and whispered, 1--WE been down
in the WELL" Some .tremor in his
voice, some CLINT in his eyes, caused
the girl to seize him eagerly. lercely.
II may be wrong" he said hurriedly;
"there may be nothing in it--and yet
1 saw something"
"What?"
"Wooden beams, timbers of some
sort, behind the stone curbing." 1t
was plain Rosa did not comprehend.
so he hurried on. "At first / noticed
nothing unusual, except that the bot
tom of the well is nearly dry-filled
up, you know, with debris and stuff
that has fallen in from the curbing
above, then / saw that although the
we'll is dug through rock, nevertheless
1t is entirely curbed up with stones
laid in mortar. That struck me as
queer"
"YesY
"I noticed, too, in one place that
there was wood behind-as IL timbers
had been placed there to cover the
entrance to cave. You know this
Cuban rock is full Of caverns."
Rosa clasped her hands. she began
to tremble. "You have found 1t,
O'Reilly. You havep she whispered.
"No, ne, I've foupd nothing yet. But
I've sent Jacket for pick or a bar
and tonight I'm going to pull down
those stones and see what is behind
them"
"To night? You must let me 60,
too. I want to help"
every well. But meanwhile you
mustn't let your hopes rise too high,
for there is every chance that you will
be disappointed. And don't mention
it to Evangelina. Now, then, I've a
few pennies left and I'm going to buy
some candles"
Rosa embraced her lover impulsive-
ly. something tells me 1t is true !
Something tells me you are going to
save us all"
Evangelina in the far corner Of the
hpt muttered to her husband: "Such
love-birdsl They are like parrakeets,
forever kissing and cooling"
Jacket returned Mt dusk, and with
him lie brought rusty three-foot iron
bar, evidently part of a window graf
ing. The boy was tired, disguised, and
in vile temper. "A pickax! A crow
bar !" he cursed eloGuently. "One might
MS we'll try to steal cannon out Of
San Severino. I'm ready to do any
thing within reason, but
"Why, this will do nicely; 1t is just
what want" OReilly told him.
"HumphI I'm glad to hear 1t, for
that rod was nearly the death Of me.
I broke my back wrenching at 1t and
the villain who owned the house
may a bad lightning split him The
ran after me until nearly expired.
If my new knife had been sharp ]
would have turned and sent him home
with 1t between his ribs. Tomorrow
shall put an edge on it. Believe me,
l ran until my lungs burst"
Little food remained in the hut
barely enough for Asensio and the
women, and inasmuch as O'Reilly had
spent his last centavo for candles he
and Jacket were forced to go hungry
again. Late that evening, after the
wretched prison quarters had grown
quiet, the three treasure hunters stole
out of their hovel and wound up the
hill. In spite of their excitement they
went slowly, for none Of them had the
strength to hurry. Fortunately there
were few providers within the lines
hunger having robbed the reconcentra
dos of the spirit to venture forth, ant
in consequence Spanish vigilance hat
J relaxed; 1t was now confined to the
far-hung glrdle of intrenchments which
encircled the city. The trio encoun
tered no one.
Leaving Jacket on guard at the cres
Of the hill, O'Reilly stationed Rosa a
the mouth of the well, then lowered
himself once more into 1t. Lighting
his candle, he made careful examl
nation Of the place, with the resul
that Esteban's theory Of the MISSING
riches seemed even less imprObabl,
than 1t had earlier In the day. TIL,
masonry work, he discovered, had beel
done with a painstaking thOroughnes
which spoke of the abundance Of slav
labor, and time had barely begun t
affect 1t. Here and there a piece o
the mortar had loosened and com
away, but for the most part 1t stOo
as solid as the stones between whlcl
9 it was laid. Shoulder-high to O'Relll
there appeared to be section Of tn
curbing less smoothly fitted than tn
J. rest, and through an interstice in thi
/ he detected what seemed to be dam
t wooden beam. At this point b
e brought his iron bar into play.
q 1t was not long before he dlscOvere
IS that his work was cut out for hin
e. The cement was like flint and his blum
# makeshlft implement was almost use
less against it. Ankle-deep In tn
Is muddy water, he patiently pecked an
Y. pounded and Clipped, endeavOring t
IT enlarge the crevice so as to use hi