Judsonia weekly advance., 1918-08-28
CHAPTER xv-Continued.

toIiHe BaSpeQ, JOnnn1o SpOKe SOOtu- ingly:
 Don't get excited, old man; you've talked too much today"
 Hal! Esteban fell back upon his pillow. q haven't any fever. I'm as sane as ever I was. That treasure exists, and that doubloon gave me the clue to its whereabouts. Don Esteban, my father, was cunning he could hide things better than magpie. It re- mained for me to discover his trick"
 "He is raving," O'Reilly declared, with a sharp stare at his friend
 The girl turned Loyalty to her pa tient. 'I'll believe you, Mir. Varona. l always believe everything about buried treasure. The bigger the treasure the more implicitly I believe in it. I sim ply adore pirates and such things; if I were man I'd be one Do you know I've always been tempted to bury my money and then go look for it."
 'There is no doubt that my father had great deal of money at one time," Esteban began; 'he was the richest man in the richest city of Cuba"
 O'Reilly shook his head dubiously and braced his back against a tree trunk; there was a look of mild disap- probation on his face as he listened to the familiar story of Don Esteban and the slave, Sebastian. When Esteban had finished, Norine drew deep breath.
 "Oh! That lays over any story ever heard To think that the deeds and the jewels and everything are in the well at this minute Suppose some body finds it?" Norine was aghast at the thought.
 Mot much chance of that The treasure has lain there for a genera tion, and the story itself is almost for gotten." Esteban turned triumphantly to O'Reilly, saying, "Now, then, do you think I'm so crazy?"
 F O'Reilly didn't have it in his heart to say exactly what he really thought. What he more than half suspected was that some favored fancy had formed lodgment in Estebans brain.
 Its an interesting theory" he ad- mitted. Anyhow there Is no danger of the treasure being uncovered very soon. Cueto had good look and made himself ridiculous. You'll have ample chance to do likewise when the war is over."
 "You must help me find it." said Esteban. "We shall all share the for tune equally, you two, Rosa and l."
 'We? Why should we share in it?" Norine asked.
 'I owe it to you. Didn't OReilly rescue me from a dungeon? Haven't you nursed me back to health? Don't owe my life to you both?'
 Nonsense I, for one, sha'n't take a dollar of it."
 "Oh but you must. I insist. Nurs- ing Is poorly paid profession. Wouldn't you like to be rich?"
 Profession Poorly paid?" Norine sputtered, angriIy. AS if I'd take pay!"
 "As if would accept great service and forget it, like some miserable beg gar !" Esteban replied stiffly.
 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 fa- nous Varona fortune going for dol lar!''
 "Therel 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 I hate sneering skeptic, wet blanket"
 O'Reilly rose with one arm shielding his face. 'In 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. We'll go and dig 1t 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 panting when he ar- rived.
 News From Matanzas!" he cried. "Gomez' man has arrived"
 Esteban struggled to rise, but No rine restrained him. Rosa? What does he say7 Quicki"
 "Good newsi She left the Pan de