Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-08-21
Of milne. You remember how she met
her deafh7. wrote vou---,,

Of milne. You remember how she met
her death? I wrote YOU"
Eyes. and Esteban also told me-"
1T was he who recovered her body
from the well. One day, while we
were In hiding, away up yonder in the
Yumuri, he showed me an old COIN"
81 know" O'Rellly said quickly. HE
told me the whole story. He thinks
that doubloon Is clue to your fathers
fortune. butt can't put much faith in
1t. In fact, didn't believe until this
moment that there was doubloon at
ALL"
"Oh, indeed there wasl I, saw It."
There was q moment of silence dur
ing which the lovers were oblivious to
all but each other. then Rosa MUIR
INJURED: "How strangel Sometimes
your eyes are blue and sometimes gray.
Does that mean 'tnpt your love, too,
can changer"
Certainly not. But come, what
about Esteban and that doubloon?
!, With an effort the girl brought her.
self back to earth. "Well. it occurred
to me. in the light of that dream last
night, that Esteban may have been
right. OF course nobody outside Of
our family credits the old story, and
vet my father was considered q very
rich man at one time. Pancho Cueto
believed in the existence of the treas
ure, and he was in position to know"
"True! Perhaps. after all"
O'Reilly frowned medltatively.
Rosa lifted herself upon her elbow,
her eyes sparkling. "Wouldn't it be
wonderful If It were true7 Just think,
OReilly, cases Of Spanish gold, silver
coins in casks, packages Of gems. Oh,
I've heard Isabel talk about it often
enough"
Don't forget those pearls from the
Caribbean, as large as plums," Johnny
smiled. II could never quite swallow
that. A pearl the size of currant
would buy our freedom right now"
After moment he went on. more seri-
ously: "Tve notion to look into that
old well this very afternoon. IL
dare say I'm foolish, but-somehow
the story doesn't sound 80 improbable
as it did. Perhaps It is worth inves-
tigating-" He made up his mind
swiftly. 'T-rm OF this very instant"
When O'Reilly emerged from the hut
he found jacket industriously at work
over q fragment Of grindstone which
he had somewhere unearthed. The boy
looked up at his friends approach and
held out for inspection long, thin file,
which he was slowly shaping into a
knife-blade.
what do you think Of that? he
queried proudly. '.It may come In
handy when we are ready to clear out
OF this pesthole."
"Where did you get itr''
"oh. stole 1t. / steal everything I
can lay my hands on nowadays. One
can never tell when he may have q
throat to cut, and file has good steel
in it."
"Since you are such I'm accom-
plished thief, do you think you could
steal something for meT O'Reilly in
quired. "A piece Of rope1"
"Rope?" Jacket was puzzled. '.Rope
is only good for hanging Spaniards.
My friend. in the fish market has a
voia7dra, and-perhaps I can rob him
Of a halyard." Laying aside his task,
jacket arose and made off in the direc-
ton Of the water front. He was back
within an hour. and under his shirt
he carried coil Of worn but service
able roper Without waiting to explain
his need for this unusual article,
O'Reilly liked arms with the boy and
set out to climb La Cumbre. When
ut last they stood In the unused quarry
and Johnnie made known his intention
to explore the old well, jacket re-
garded him with undisguised amaze
ment.
"What do you expect to find down
there?" the Inter inquired.
ITO tell you the truth, don't really
expect to find anything" the 1nan con-
fessed. <"Now that I'm here, I'm he
ginning to feel silly; nevertheless, I'm
going to have a look for the hidden
treasure Of the Yaronas."
Hidden treasurer From Jackets
expression it was plain that he feared
his friend was mildly mad. Even after
O'Reilly had told him something about
old Don Esteban's missing riches, he
secuted the story. He peeped inquisi-
lively into the dark opening of the
well, then he shook his head. "Ca-
ramba! What an idea! Was this old
man crazy, to throw his money away?"
"He-he had more than he knew
what to do with, and he wished to
save it from the Spaniards," O'Reilly
explained lamely.
''Humph! Nobody ever had more
money than he wanted" The boys, dis
gust at such credulity wns plain. "This
well looks just like any other, only
deeper; you'd better look out that you
don't break your neck like that fool
ish old woman, that Donna What's
Her-Name."
OReilly did indeed feel that he was
making himself ridiculous; neyerthe-
less. he made the rope fast and swung
himself down out of the sunlight, leay-
ing Jacket to stand guard over him.
Perhaps fifteen minutes later he reap
peared. painting from his exertions.
He was wet. Shiny; his clothes were
streaked and stained with mud
Jacket began to laugh shrilly at his
appearance