Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-09-24

uAo mosS UoSn 5uuO0n oVacke, m In
tcrruption In the robuster course Of
events but. instead, cursously In the
direct line Of my purpose. Because
the eyes Of an unknown girl had thus
suddenly enthralled me. I was not,
therefore, to lose sight Of that purpose,
On the contrary, they had suddenly
shons out on the pathway along which
had been bllndly cropping. But for
the accident Of being In the dirty little
store at 90 psychological . moment.
hearing that strangely familiar voice
and catching sight Of that mysterious
doubloon as well as those mysterious
eyes, should have set sail that very
night and given up John p. Tobias
second treasure In Email disgust. As It
was, was now warmly on the track
Of some treasure-whether his or not
with two bright eyes further to point
the way. Never surely did q mans
love and his purpose make SO practical
a combination.
When I reached my lodging at last
In the early morning following that
night OF wonders my eyes and heart
were not 80 dazed with that vision In
the cave that did not wildly recall
one important detail Of the strange
picture-thoss streams Of gold that
had suddenly poured out of the mouth
and hands Of the lovely apparition.
Without doubling the evidence Of
my senses, I was forced to believe
that, by the oldest piece of luck, had
stumbled upon the hiding place of that
hoard Of doubloons, on which my fair
unknown drew from time to time as
she would out Of bank.
But who was sheP--and where was
her homef There had seemed no sign
Of habitation near the wild place
where had come upon her. though. Of
course, a solitary house might easily
have escaped my notice hidden among
all that foliage, particularly at night
fall.
To be sure, had but to inquire Of
the storekeeper to learn all I wanted !:
but 1 was averse from betraying my
interest to him or to anyone in the
settlement--for, after all, It was my
own affair, and hers. So determined
to pursue my policy of watching and
waiting, letting day or two elapse
before I again went out wandering
with my gun.
I left the craggy bluff facing the
sea and plunged into the woods. !
had no Idea how dark it was going to,
but, coming out Of the sun. was at
once bewildered by the deep and COM
| picated gloom OF massed branches
overhead, and the denser darkness Of
shrubs and vines so intricately inter
woven as almost to make solid wall
about one. Then the atmosphere was
SO close and airless that fear Of suf-
! location combined at once with the
other fear of being swallowed up in all
this savage green life. without hope Of
finding ones way out again into the
sun. I fought my way in but q rery
few yards when both these fears
clutched hold Of me with sudden hor-
ror, and the perspiration poured from
me; I could no longer distinguish be-
tween the way had come and any
other part of the woodi Indeed, there
| was no why anywherel' w.
must have battled through the
veritable inferno Of vegetation for ut
least an hour-though 1t seemed life
time. Clouds of particularly unpleas-
ant midges filled my eyes, not to speak
| of mosquitoes and peculiar kind OF
persistent singing fly was adding to
| my miseries, when at last, begrimed
and dripping with sweat, I stumbled
out, with a cry of thankfulness, on to
| comparatively fresh air and some
thing like a broad avenue running
north and south through the wood. 1t
| was indeed densely overgrown, and
had evidently not been used for many
| years. Still, 1t was comparatively
passable, and one could at least see
the sky and take long breaths once
| moro.
Still there was no sign Of a house
| anywhere. Presently, however, - !
stumbled along noticed something
looming darkly through the matted
forest on my loft that suggssted walls.
Locking closer. saw that It was the
ruin of q small stone cottage, roofless,
and indescribably swallowed up in the
pitiless scrub. And then. near by. !
deserted another such ruin, and still
another-all, as it were. sunk In the
terrible gloom Of the vegetation, as
sometimes. at low tide, one can dis
Germ the walls Of ruined village al
the bottom Of the sea.
Evidently I had come upon . long.
abandoned settlement. and presently
on some slightly higher ground to the
left, thought could make out the
half-submerged walls Of much more
ambitious edi6ce. Looking closer,
noted. with a thrill Of surprise, the
beginning Of very narrow path, not
more than foot wide. leading ur
through the scrub in It's direction
Narrow as 1t was, it had clearly been
kept open by the not-infrequent pas
sage Of feet. With certain eerie feel
ing, I edged my way into it. and, after
following it for hundred yards or SO
found myself close to the roofiess ruiz
Of spacious stone house with some
thing OF the appearance Of an old Eng
lish manor house. Mullioned windows
finely masoned, opened in the shat
tered wall, and on elaborate stone
staircase, In the interstices Of which
stout shrubs were growing. gave. OF
once had given, an entrance through
an arched doorway-an entrance now