The Benson signal., 1919-05-24

| clared she knew her fathers course
was the best and that duty to him
made it impossible for her to disre-
| gard his wishes. Furthermore, she
said, she knew Gaylord would not lead
the life he did if he really cared for
| her.
Thereupon, Gaylord set out to
'change his ways" The climax Of his
only love affair awoke him and gave
him new perspective on life. He
worked hard and kept away from his
| former boon companions. He said he
would "show her." but he didn't have
much of chance, because the girl
and her father moved away week
| after Gaylord had received his ulti-
matum. No one knew where they had
| gone. But Gaylord lived in hope of
receiving letter some day and kept
| his life clean in spite Of the tempta-
| tions that assailed him to indulge in
various stimulants that might induce
| forgetfulness. Well, here it was a
| year later and he had a good position.
| and had won respect, but no letter
had come. Finally his hopes had van
| ished, and in search of some relief
| for his heavy heart he had determined
to accept Layard's offer.
II have given up my job on the
strength of the chance to hunt for
your treasure" he said, "and you sure
| ly won't go back on me. Maybe it Is
| wild-goose chase, but I want to try
| it, just the same"
Layard cast his partly consumed
| cigar into the fireplace and went into
an adjoining room, from which he re-
| turned shortly with a tin box, from
| which he took a piece of parchment
| that cracked from age and seemed on
| the point of falling to pieces. The
| two men drew their chairs close and
bent over the paper.
In a canyon Of the Cascade noun
| tains, out in Oregon, some time after
| the conference dealt with above, Gay
| lord Sumner lay beside a stream suf-
fering from injuries received in falling
from a cliff only a few yards away.
He was so weak from loss of blood
that it had taken him fully two hours
| to crawl to the stream, where he was
endeavoring, with Indifferent success,
to bathe his most serious wound,
which was in his right side. His right
shoulder also had been badly
wrenched and his entire body felt
bruised.
Treasure !" he laughed, hOarSely.
''I found the cache all right, but the
treasure-a lot Of old tin cans and
pickax. Treasure! Bah! A Wild
goose chase is right"
AS he spoke he discerned a thin
wreath of smoke ascending over hill
| on the other side of the stream. He
became curious and determined to get
q glimpse over the crest of the hill, II
It was his last act in this world. After
resting a few minutes longer to gain
| strength, he staggered across the shall
| low stream and gained the opposite
| bank, where he rested again. This
| time he could scarcely stand on his
| feet. so he contented himself with
| crawling, with the same speed and
|
| crest of the low hill. He paused fire.
uuently to gasp from the exertiOn, and
he felt that he would like to go to
sleep forever, something that was not
at all unlikely to happen.
At last, with a final desperate eff
| fort, using all Of the rapidly dwindling
strength that he could muster, he
dragged himself over the top of the
| hill and found himself looking down
on a cozy-appearing little hut. The
smoke was from it's chimney.
Otis Layard drew rein and halted
| his horse.
"Hellor' he called, and the door Of
the cabin opened. A young man came
| out.
"Well, what on earth are you doing
| here?" inquired the latter after greet
| ings had been exchanged.
"I was told to take a trip for my
| health, so ! came out here to look you
| up," Otis explained, as he dismounted,
81 was afraid you might have got eat
en- up by mountain lions; and," he
added, grinning sarcastically, II was
curious to learn whether you had
| found the treasure"
Gaylord's eyes lit up.
"Come on into the cabin" he urged,
and Otis followed him.
A girl with a somewhat plain but
attractive face, with hair that was
| blend of auburn ana gold, arose from
| a seat near a window.
"a friend Of mine fsom the East
| has just arrived" Gaylord told her.
"You may have met him in the East,
but believe not. His name is Otis
Layard."
Otis grasped the slender, we'll
formed hand that was extended.
"Mr. Layard," said Gaylord, cOntinu
| ing the ceremony of introduction, II
want you to meet-the treasure"