Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-08-16
Continued from last week

Esteban. eve shall all share the for
tune equally, you two, Rosa and l."
"We? Why should we share in it?"
Norine asked.
81 owe it to you. Didn't O'Reilly
rescue me from a dungeon? Haven't
you nursed me back to health? Don't
I owe my life TO you both?"
"Nonsensei I, for one, shan't take
a dollar of it."
ooh. but you must. I insist. Nurs-
ing is poorly paid profession.
Wouldn't you like to be rich?"
profession! Poorly paid?" Norine
sputtered, angrily. GAS if I'd take
pay!"
"As If 1 would accept great service
and forget 1t, like some miserable beg
gar!'' Esteban replied stiff1y.
O'Reilly laughed out. Don't let's
quarrel over the spoil until we get it,
said he. "That's the way with all
treasure-hunters. They invariably fall
out and go to fighting. To avoid blood
shed, I'll agree to sell my interest
cheap, for cash. My share of the IA
nous Varona fortune going for dol
larw
There! He doesn't believe word
of it," Esteban said.
Norine gave an impatient shrug.
"Some people wouldn't believe they
were alive unless they saw their breath
on looking-glass. Goodness How
hate sneering skeptic, wet blanket"
O'Reilly rose with one arm shielding
his face. SIN the interest of friend
ship, I withdraw. A curse on these
buried treasures, anyhow. We shall
yet come to blows"
AS he walked away he heard NOrine
say: Don't pay any attention to him.
Well go and dig it up ourselves, and
we won't wait until the war is over"
An hour later Esteban and his nurse
still had their heads together. They
were still talking of golden ingots and
pearls from the Caribbean the size of
plums when they looked up to see
O'Reilly running toward them. He was
visibly excited; he waved and shouted
at them. He was painting when he ar
rived.
"Newsi From Matanzas!" he cried.
Gomez man has arrived"
Esteban struggled to rise, but No
rine restrained him. ROSA? What
does he say? Quick!'
"Good news! She left the Pan de
Matanzas with the two negroes. She
went into the city before Cobo's raid"
Esteban collapsed Imply. He closed
his eyes, his face was very white. He
crossed himself weakly.
'"The letter is definite. 1t seems they
were starving. They obeyed Weyler's
bando. They're in Matanzas now"
"Do you hear, Esteban" Norine
shook her patient by the shoulder.
"She's alive. Oh, can't you see that 1t
always pays to believe the best?"
"Alive! Safe!" Esteban whispered.
His eyes, when he opened them, were
swimming; he clutched Norine's hand
tightly; his other hand he extended to
O'Reilly. ga reconcentrado In Ma
tanzas! Well, that's good. We have
friends there-theyll not let her
starve This makes a new man of me.
See! Pm strong again. I'll go to her."
you'll go?" quickly cried Miss
Evans. you'll go! You're not strong
enough. It would be suicide. You,
with a price upon your head! Every
body knows you there. Matanzas Is
virtually a walled city. There's sick
ness, too-yellow fever, typhus-"
Exactly. And hunger, also. l sup
pose no one has taken Rosa in? Those
concentration camps aren't nice places
for a girl"
''But wait! 1 have friends in Wash
ington. They're influential. They will
cable the American consul to look after
her. Anyhow, you mustn't think of re-
turning to Matanzas," Norine faltered !:
her voice caught Unexpectedly and she
turned her face away.
O'Reilly nodded shortly. "You're a
sick man," he agreed. There's no need
for both of us to CO."
Esteban looked up. "Then you"
81 leave at once. The Old Man has
given me commission to General Be-
tancOurt, and Ill be on my way In an
hour. The moon is young; 1 must
cross the trocha before"
''That trocha" Esteban was up on
his elbow again. 'Be careful there
O'Reilly. They keep sharp lookout,
and it's guarded with barbed wire. Be
sure you cut every strand. Yes, and
muff1e. your horses hoofs, too, in cross
Ing the railroad track. That's how we
were detected. PablO's horse struck
a rail, and they fired at the sound. He
fell at the first volley, riddled. Oh,
know that trocha 70
% the trocha!" O'Reilly ex
claimed. sat last I've got chance t.
do something. God! How long I've
waited"