Evening star., 1918-02-17

tcopyriEht. 1916. By Harpr Bros.)
his four daughters. Heaven guided
them to me. Alberto was an old man;
he had hard work to provide food for
abandon me. The girls had become
brown and ragged and as shy as deer.
They nursed me for weeks. for my
wounds became. infected. God! It
helpless for years. When my brain
would clear I would think of Rosa, and
then the fever would rise again and 1
would go out of my head. Oh, they
I had walked east instead OF west, and
now I was miles away from home. and
the country between was swarming
with Spaniards. who were burning, de-
stroying. killing. You wouldn't know
Matanzas, O'Reilly. 1t is a desert.
Il finally became able to drag myself
around the hut But had no means OF
sending word to Rosa, and the uncer-
tainty nearly made me crazy. Ny
clothes had rotted from me; my bones
were just under the skin. I must have
been a shocking sight Then one day
with messages for Gomez. He was one
of Lopez's men. and he told me that
Lopez had gone to the Rubi hills with
our men left in the province. He told
me other things. too. 1t was from him
that learned (E,steban Varona's thin
hands clutched the edges of his ham
from side to side.l "It was he who told
me about Rosa. He said that Cobo had
ravaged the Yumuri and that my
sister-was gone. Christi
There, therei We know better now,
O'Reilly said. soothingly.
1T was a hideous story, story OF
rape. murder. I wonder that I didn't
go mad. 1t never occurred to me to
low was honest enough; he really be-
Heved what he told me. Well. l was
sorry I hadn't died that night in the
sunken road. All the hope. all the de-
I had been more than half expecting
something OF the kind. Every time I
had left Rosa It had been with the
sickening fear that I might never see
felt the desire to get away from all 1
had known and loved, to leave Matanzas
for new fields and give what was left
of me to the cause.
were relieved to get rid of me, for it
meant more food for them. Anyhow,
between US we prevailed upon the mes
senger to take me along. 1 was free
and I came to join our forces in the
orient.
That is how you found me in this
. province. Lopez's man never delivered
those dispatches. for we were taken
crossing the trocha-at least 7 was
taken, for Pablo was killed. They'd
made an end of me. too. I dare say.
only l was so weak. 1t seems a CEN
tury since that night Ny memory
doesn't serve me very well from
that point, for they Jailed me. and
I grew worse. was out Of my
head a good deal l seem to remember
a stockade somewhere and other pris-
oners. some of whom nursed me. You
say you found me in cell in San An
tonic de los Banos. Well. I don't know
how | got there. and 1 never heard OF
ut will probably all come back to
you in time" said O'Reilly.
mo doubt
The two men fell silent for a while.
ed. OReilly gave himself up to frown-
ing thought. His thoughts were not
pleasant: he could not. for the life Of
him. believe in Rosa's safety SO inn
pose. his efforts to cheer the other had
sapped his own supply of hope, leaving
him a prey to black misgivings. He
was glad when Norine Evans return
put an end to his specuiations.
Esteban was right; the girl did have
an unusual ability to Danish shadows,
splendid power to rout devils both of
the spirit and Of the flesh: she was a
sort OF antibody. destroying every nox-
ious or unhealthy thing mental or phys
This blessed capabiIity was quite dis
tinct from her skill with medicines-it
was gift. and as much a part of her
as the healing magic which dwells in
the sunshine.
Certainly her knack of lending health
and strength from her own abundant
store had never been better shown than
in Esteban's case. for with almost no
medical assistance she had brought him
back from the very voids. 1t was quite
natural. therefore, that she should take
pride in her work and regard him
with certain Jealous proprietary In
terest; it was equally natural that he
should claim the greater share of her
attention.
Have you narrowed this poor mans
feelings sufficiently for once?" she in
quired of O'Reilly.
Il have. I'll agree to talk about
nothing unpleasant hereafter"
Esteban turned to his nurse, inquir-
ing. abruptly, do you think Rosa is
alive?"
Why. of course do. Aren't you
alive and-almost well?'
Now, as an argument there was no
particular force in this suggestion;
nevertheless. both men felt reassured.
Esteban heaved a grateful sigh. After
a moment he said:
There is something 1 want to tell
you BOTH
wait until tomorrow" Norine adj
vised.
But he persisted: NO! / must tell
you discover an old coin in any of my
pockets-an old Spanish doubloon?"
That doubloon again." Norine lifted
her hands protestingly, and cast a
meaning look at oReilly. "You talked
about nothing else for a whole week
Let me feel your pulse"
Esteban surrendered his hand with
suspicious readiness.
You were fiat broke when we got
you" O'Reilly declared
Probably. l seem to remember that
somebody stole it,
''Doubloons. Pieces of eight. Golden
guineas:' exclaimed Norine WHY
those are pirate coins, They remind
me of Treasure Island; of Long John
Silver and his wooden leg; of Ben Gum
and all the rest" With a voice made
hoarse. doubtless to initiate the old
nut-brown seaman with the saber-scar
and the tarry pig-tail, who sat slipping
his rum and water in the Benbow
bow Inn. she began to chant:
Fifteen men on the dead mans chest
Yo-ho-ho. and a bottle of runi
Drink and the Devil had done for the
Yo-ho-ho. and bottle of rumr
Esteban smiled uncomprehendingly
Yes? Well. this has to do with treas
ure. That doubloon was part OF the
lost treasure of the Varonas.''
Lost treasure" Norine's gray ewes
widened. What are you talking
about"
There is mysterious fortune in our
family. My father buried it, He was