Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-08-22
copyrishs. b. Hazpss and Brothsrs

XsOSd IueC " NELLY JUST IuSiuC ei0
door, and at sight Of her he uttered
IN exclamation of surprise, for during
his absence she had removed the stain
from her face and discarded that dis
fgurement which Evangelina had 1T
ted to her back prior to their depart
ure from the Pan de Matanzas. She
stood before him now, straight and
slim and graceful-the Rosa Of his
dreams, only very thin, very fragile.
Her poor tatters only enhanced her
prettiness, so he thought.
Rosa. deari Do you think this is
quite safe?" he ventured, doubtfully.
Evangelina, who was bending over
her husband, Strengthened herself and
came forward with smile upon her
black face.
"She is beautiful, Ell? Too beautiful
to look at? What did I tell your"
Rosa was in delightful confusion at
OReilly's evident surprise and admi-
ration. "Then I'm not so altogether
changed?" she asked.
AWhy, you haven't changed at all,
except to grow more beautiful. Evan
gelina is right: you are too beautiful
to look at. But wait!" He drew her
aside and whispered. tive been down
in the weii.'' Some tremor in his
voice, some CLINT In his eyes, caused
the girl to seize him eagerly, fiercely.
81 may be wrong, he said hurriedly;
"there may be nothing in it-and yet
saw something"
'sWhat?"
'Wooden beams, timbers Of some
sort, behind the stone curbing." 1t
was plain Rosa did not comprehend.
so he hurried on. Eat first 1 noticed
nothing unusual, except that the bot
tom Of the we'll is nearly dry-flled
up, you know, with debris and stun
that has fallen in from the curbing
nbove, then I saw that although the
well is dug through rock. nevertheless
it is entirely curbed up with stones
laid in mortar. That struck me as
queer"
"Yes?"
IT noticed, too, in one place that
there was wood behind-as If timbers
had been placed there ~, cover the
entrance to a cave. Yotfknow this
Cuban rock is full Of caverns."
Rosa clasped her hands, she. began
to tremble. "You have found It.,
O'Reilly. You havew she whispered.
t''No, no, I've found nothing yet. But
I've sent jacket for pick or bar
and tonight I'm going to pull down
those stones and see what is behind
them"
ITO night7 You must let me go.
too. I want to help"
Every we'll. 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 impulslve-
, ". something tells me it Is true!
Something tells me you are going to
save us all"
Eyangelina In the far corner Of the
hut muttered to her husband: Such
loye-birds! They are like parrakeets,
forever kissing and cooling"
Jacket returned at dusk, and with
him he brought rusty three-foot iron
bar, evidently part % f 6 %~,:!Haaccww graf
ing. The boy was tired, disguised, and
IN vile temper. "A pickax! A crow
barr he cursed eloquently. "One might
as well try to steal cannon out of
San Severino. I'm ready to do any
thing within reason, but"
.Why, this will do nicely; It is just
what want" O'Reilly told him.
@Humphl I'm glad to hear It. for
that rod was nearly the death Of me.
: broke my back wrenching at 1t and
the villain who owned the house
may bad lightning split him Tho
ran after me until nearly expired.
II my new knife had been sharp I
would have turned and sent him homo
with It between his ribs. Tomorrow I
shall put an edge on 1t. Believe me.
I 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 Tor candles he
and Jacket were forced to go hungry
again. Late that evening, after the
wretched prison quarters had grown
4 quiet, the three treasure hunters stole
{ put q tncir novel and wound uD the