Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-11-28
Not Ynldes. the notnrvfr

his -four daughters. Heaven guided
them to me. Alberto was an old man !;
be had hard work TO provide food for
his girls. Nevertheless, he refused to
abandon me- oh. they were faithful
patient people. You see. had walked
east instead of west. and now I was
miles away from home, and the coun'
Try between was swarmng with Span
lards who were burning. destroying
killing. Yen wouldn't know Matanzas
0Reilly. It is desert,
Il finally became able to drag myself
around the hut But | had no means
Of sending word to Rosa, and the un.
certainty nearly made me crazy. My
clothes had rotied from me; my bones
were inst under the skin. / must have
+ been shocking sight. Then one day
there came n fcllbw travelling east with
messages for Gomez. He was one OF
Lopez men. and he told me that 10
peg had gone TO the Rubi Hills with
! Maceo and that there were none Of
our men LEFT IN the province. He told
Ine other things, too. 1t was from him
that | learned" Esteban Varona's
thin hands clutchcd the edges of his
! hammock and he rolled his head weak.
( ly from side to side. at was he who
told me about Rosa. He said that Cobc
/ had rayaced the Yumuri and that my
/ siSter-was roner'
"Fhere, there We know better now"
/ OEcilly said. soothingly.
ut was "a hideous story, n story OF
! rape murder. | wonder that / didn't
70 mad. 1t never occurred TO me &c
doubt, and ~ Il matter of fact the Eel
low was honest enough; he really bo-
Ievcd what lie told me. After the
man had finished | felt the desire tc
get away from all / had known and
loved, to leave Matanzas for new fields
and give what was left Of me TO the
cause. | was free TO enlist, since J
couldn't reach Lopez. and | came tc
Join our forces In the Orient.
THAT is how you found me in this
province. Lopez man never delivered
these dispatches, for we were taken
crossing the trocha-at least | was
taken, for Pablo was killed. They'd
have made an end Of me, too, / dare
say, only | was 50 weak. II seems a
century since that night My memory
doesn't serve me very well from that
point, for they jailed me, and | grew
worse. ] was out Of my head COCO
deal"
The two men fell silent for a while.
Esteban lay with closed eyes. exhaust.
ed. O'Rcigly 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 50 i'm.
plicitly rs he had led ESteban to sup
pose; his efforts to cheer the other
had Slapped his own supply of hope,
leaving him prey 70 black misgiyinGs.
He was glad when Norine Evans re.
turn put an end to his specuations.
'1Iave you narrowed this poor mans
feelings sufficiently for once" She ia.
CURED Of 0'Relly.
Il have III agree TO talk about
nothing unpleasant hereafter"
Esteban turned to his nurse. There
Is something l want to tell you both"
'Wait until tomorrow" Norine adj
vised.
But he persisted: "No! must tell
1t now. First. however, did either OF
you discover IN old coin in any of my
pockc;s-an old Spanish doubIoon?"
'FThat doubloon again !" Noripe lift
81 her hands protesupgly, and cast
meaning look AT O'Rchly. You talked
about nothing else for a whole week.
! Let me feel your pulse
Esteban surrendered ais hand with
/ suspicious readiness.
4 'You were fat broke when we got
you" O'Reilly declared.
"Probahly. / seem TO remember that
/ somebody stole it,
."noubloons Pieces of eight Gold.
en- guincas = exclaimed Norine. 'Why
those are pirate coinsl They remind.
me Of Treasure Island; of Long John
! Silver anG lis wooden leg; Of Ben
Gum and all the rest"
Esteban smiled uncomprehc-dingly.
yes? Wen. this has to do with treas
ure Of the Varonas Ny father iE1ried
| 1t. He was very rich. YOU know. and
! he SO, lf.a.g of the Spaniards. Ores
] ~ knows The story.
| Jebnnie asserted with grunt.
"Sure. ! know all about it,
E,tehan raised himself to his elbow.
You think it's q myth. joke. Well.
Is not. know where it is. I found
it,"
Norine gasped; Johnnie spoke sooth-
ias'y:
Hent Get excited, old man; you've
talked too nuch today"
Ma" ESJeban fell back upon his
Pillow. 4 haxen't any fever. I'm as
sane rs ever I wn~~ That treasure
exists. ana that doubloon gave me the
rlue 10 It's whereabouts. Don Esteban.
my father. was cunning; he could hide
th!2gs better than q maybe. II re
NAMED for me 10 discover his trick"
''iEe is raving," o'Reilly declared,
with . sharp Stare-at his friend.
TIE girl turned Loyalty to her pa.