The Dolores star., 1919-10-17

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sweet smile came back again. He was
thinking Of Tobias.
While Charlie Webster was arrang-
ing his affairs so that he might be
able to take his holiday with a free
mind l busted myself with provision
ing the Flamingo. and In casually chat
ting with one and another along the
water front. in the hope Of gathering
some hint that might guide us on our
coming expedition. thought 1t pos
sible. too, that chance might thus
bring me some information as to the
recent movements Of Tobias.
In this way made the acquaintance
Of several old salts, both white and
black, one or two Of whom time and
their neighbors had invested with n
legendary SAVIOR of the old "wrecking
days." which, II rumor speaks true.
are not entirely vanished from the
remoter corners Of the islands. But
either their romantic halos were en-
tirely due to imaginative gossip. or
they themselves were too shrewd to
be drawn, for I got nothing out of
'heih " my PuipoSe.
One afternoon In the Course Of these
rather fruitless If interesting invesd-
cations among the picturesque ship
yards of Bay street l had wandered
farther along that historic water front
than Is customary with sightseeing pc
destrIans, and had come to where the
road begins to be left alone with the
fo
here and there among the surrounding
scrub-when my eye was caught by
little store that seemed to have
strayed away from the others-a small
timber erection painted in blue and
white with sort of sea-wildness and
loneliness about 1t. and with large,
naive lettering across its Intel an
nounclng itself as an Emporium" Il
think that was the wordD "of Marine
Curiosities."
pushed open the door. There was
no one there. The little store was
evidently left to take care of itself.
Inside 1t was like an old curiosity shop
of the sea, every available inch of
space, rough tables and walls Uttered
tha ihh6 VAN thC qutCI lOfSly
bric-a-brac Of the sea. Presently
tiny girl came in, as 1t seemed, from
nowhere and said she would fetch her
father. In a moment or two he came,
tall, weathered. Englishman of the
sailor type, brown and lean, with
lonely blue eyes.
"You don't seem afraid of thieves"
I remarked.
1T ain't a jewelry store" he said.
with the curious soft sing-song intona-
tion Of the Nassau "conch."
That's just what was thinking 1t
was" said.
II know what you mean," he replied,
his lonely face lighting up as faces do
at unexpected understanding in n
stranger. "Of course there are some
that feel that way. but they're few and
far between"
Not enough to make a fortune out
off"
oh! 1 do pretty WELL" he said; "I
mustn't complain. Moneys not every
thing, you see, In business like
this. There's going after the things,
you know. Ones got to count that in
too"
l looked at him in some surprise.
had met something even rarer than
the things he traded in. had met a
merchant of dreams, to whom the mere
handling of his merchandise seemed
sufficient profit: "There's going after
the things, you know. Ones got to
count that in too"
Naturally we were neck-deep in talk
In moment. 1 wanted to hear all he
cared to tell me about "going after
the things"-such "things !"-and he
was nothing 10th, as he took up one
strange or beautiful object after an
other, his face aglow, and he quite
evidently without a thought of doing
business, and told me all about them
how and where he got them, and so
forth.
But" he said presently, encouraged
by my unfeigned interest II should
like to show you few rarer things
have in the house. and which I
wouldn't sell, or even show to every
one. II you'd honor me by taking a
cup of tea we might look them over"
So we left the little store, with its
door unlocked as 1 had found 1t, and
few steps brought us to little house
1 had not before noticed, with a neat
garden in front of 1t, all the garden
beds symmetrically bordered with
conch shells. Shells were evidently
the simple-hearted fellows mania, his
revelation Of the beauty Of the world.
Here in neat parlor, also much dec
GRATED with shells, tea was served to
US BY the little girl had first seen
and an elder sister, who. 1 gathered,
made all the lonely dreamer's family.
Then, shyly pressing on me cigar, he
turned to show me the promised treas
ures. He also told me more of his
manner Of finding them, and Of the
long trips which he had to take in
seeking them, to out-of-the-way Gays
L.