The Mena weekly star., 1919-09-25
CHAPTER xxx.
;.sl,,,u.l,IlrIliIiIIIIIIIlIIIiIIIIIIiIIIlIIIls Copyright by A. c. McClurg < Go.

Opening of the Treasure Chest.
 The dawn came slowly, and with but Mile increase of light. The breeze had almost entirely died away. leaving the canvas aloft motionless. lie schooner barely moving through slightly heav- ,ur sea. in the midst of dull-gray ra6st. When Watkins emerged from he mist I proposed to him that we go besow and continue the search for esad. He was not anxious to go and Dorothy persuaded me to let her go with me. In the room where the ape he'd been hidden we found big chest and set to work to open it.
 It proved harder than I had be- Se~ed. the staple of the lock clinging te the hard teak wood of which the chest was made. The lid was heavy, but as finally forced 1t backward hinge snapped and permitted it to drop crashing to the deck. For an in- stant I could see nothing within.
 Lift up the lantern, Dorothy, please. No, higher than that. What in Gods name? Why, 1t is the corpse 
 of a womani"
 heard her cry out and barely caught the lantern as 1t fell from her band. At first { doubted the evidence of my own eyes, snatching the bit of fiaring candle from it's tin socket and holding it where the full glare of light fell across the grewsome object. Az, 1t was woman. with lower limbs doubled back from lack of space, but otherwise lying as though she slept so perfect in preservation her cheeks ap- peared flushed with health. her lips calf smiling. It was face of real bmuty-an English face, although her eyes and hair were dark and her man. tills and long earrings were unques- tionably Spanish. A string of pearls encrcled her throat, and there were numerous rings upon her fingers. The very contrast added immeasurably to tbe horror.
 -She is alive! Surely she is alivel" The words were sobbed into my ear from Dorothy's lips.
 -Allve! No, that is impossl5lei" I touched the figure with my hand. "The flesh is like stone,' l said, "thus held lifelike by some magic of the Indies. What can it all mean? Who could the woman be? It is love or hate?"
 Not love, Geoffry. Love would never do this thing. It Is hate, the saoatIng of revenge; there can be no other answer--this is the end of tagedy."
 There was nothing, not scrap of paper. not even the semblance of wound exposed. The smile on those parted lips had become one of mock exv: could bear the sight no longer. and rose to my feet, clasping Dorothy close to me, as she still gazed down in fascination at the ghastly sight.
 We will never know. The man who could tell is dead"
 Captain ParadiIla7"
 sWho else could it be? This was ms schooner. and here he alone could hide such a secret. There is nothing more we can learn, and the horror un- nerves me. Hold the light, dear, while replace the lid of the chest"
 It required my utmost effort to ac- complish this. I was glad to have the thing hidden, to escape the stare of those fixed eyes, the death smile of those red lips. It was no longer a reality but a dream of delirlum; I dare not think or speculate-my only desire being to get away to get Dor othy away. in absolute terror I drew her with me to the open door--then stopped, paralyzed; the half revealed ngure of man appeared on the cabin stairs.
 -Stopl Who are you7"
 Watkins, sir. I came below to call pou. There's sumthin' blocmin' odd tadn' place out there in the fog, Cap tain Carlyle. We want yer on deck. zr, right away"