Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-08-13


hopes. The doubloon still suggested
that it was the key to Il door Of fas-
chatting mystery to which chance
might at any moment direct me.
And--why not admit it?-apart from
my buried treasure, to the possible
discovery Of which the doubloon
seemed to point, | was possessed With
growing desire for another glimpse
of those haunting eyes. They needed
not their association with the inys-
FERROUS gold they were magnetic
enough to draw any man, with even
the rudments of imagination, along
the path Of the unknown. All the
paths out of the little settlement
were paths into the unknown, and. day
after day, | followed one or another of
them cut into the wilderness, taking
gun with me. ns an oStensible excuse
for any spying eye, and bringing back
with me occasional bags of the wild
pigeons which were plentiful on the
island.
one day had thus wandered unus.
ualIy far afield, and at nightfall found
4 myself still several miles from home
on rocky path overhanging the sea.
There was no sign of habitation any
where. 1t was wild and lonely place,
/ and presently over its savage beauty
| stole the glanOr of the moon rising far
/ over the sea. | sat down on Il ledge
/ Of the cliffs and watched the moon
| light grow in intensity AS the darkness
| Of the woods drepened behind me. 1t
| was night full of witchcraft; Il night
| on which the stars the moon. and the
sea together seemed limiting at some
Honderful thing about to- happen,
Theu. as If the fairy night were
/ matchlnC my thoughts WITH chGl.
! lcngc, what was this bright wonder
| suddenly present on one of the bout
ders far down beneath me?-a tall
| shape of wtchcraft Wilderness, stand
/ ing. fun In the moon, like IL statue in
! luminous marble of some goddess Of
antiquity
My eyes and my heart together told
me it was she and rs she hung poised
over the edge of the water in the at.
titude of one about to- dive, Il turn OF
her head gave me that longed-for
glimpse Of those living eyes filled with
/ moonlight. She stood another mo-
ment, still ms the night, in her lowell
ness and the next she had dived d.
rectly into the path of the moon. |
saw her eyes moontilled again, as she
came to the surface, and began to
swim-not, as one might have expect
ed, out from the land but directly in
toward the unseen base of the cliffs.
The moon-path did lead to a golden
door in the rocks, | said to myself
and she was about to enter it. 1t was
secret door known only to herself {;
and then, for the first time that night,
l thought of that doubloon.
Perhaps if had not thought of 1t
should not have done what then l did.
There will, doubtless, be those who
will censure me. If so, l am afraid
they must. At all events. it was the
thought Of that doubloon that swayed
the balance of my hesitation in taking
the moon-path in the track Of that
bright apparition.
| looked for II way down to the edge
of the sea. 1t was not easy to find, but
after much perilouS Scrambling | at
length found myself on the boulder
which had so lately been the pedestal
Of that Radiance; and, in another mo-
ment. | had dived into the moon-path
and was swimming toward the mys-
FERROUS golden door.
Before me the rocks opened in a
IDENTIFY s!ashing back into the cliff. be-
meath the road on which | had been
treading. l could see the moonlit
water vanishing into Il sort of gleam-
ing lane between the vast Overhang-
ing walls.
Presently felt my feet rest lightly
on firm sand. and, still shoulder deep
in the water, | walked on another yard
or twO--to be brought to Il sudden
stop. There she was coming toward
me, breast high in that watery tunnel
The moon, continuing It's serene ascen.
Nhli' III nv UP Win SUUUtll DtulIl.
o! shape of bloom and glory
For a moment we both stood looking
at each other, as if tranSiiXcd Then
Sh" gave II frightened cry and put her
hands up to her bosom; as she did SO
Il stream Of something hright--like
! gold pieceS-fcll from her mouth. and
two like streams from her opened
hands. Then, as quick as light, she
had dnrtcd past me and dived into the
nGon-pAth beyond. She must have
swan under the water long way, for
when saw her dark head rise again
In the glmmcring path it was at a
distance of many yards.
| had no thought of following her
but stood In II dream among the wa.
terry CLEANS and echoes.
For me had come that hour of won.
der; for me out Of that tropic sea, into
whose hawless dteps my eyes had 81
often gone adrenn, had risen the cren.
ture of miracle.
GRO BE CONTINUED)