Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1919-12-02

| - -Wnen my eye was caught by
little store that seemed to have
strayed away from the others-a small
UNDER erection painted In blue and
white with a sort Of sea-wildness and
loneliness about 1t, and with large,
naive lettering across its Intel an.
nouncing itself as an Emporium n
think that was the world "of Marine
Curiosities."
pushed open the door. There was
no one there. The little store was
evidently left to take care Of itself,
inside IT was like an old curiosity shop
OF the sea, every available inch of
space, rough tables and walls Uttered
and hung with the queer and lovely
pric-a-brac Of the sea. Presently a
tiny girl came In, as 1t seemed, from
nowhere and said she would fetch her
father. In moment or two he came,
tall. weathered Englishman of the
sailor type. brown and lean. with
lonely blue eyes.
You don't seem afraid Of thieves. y
I remarked.
1T amt a jewelry store" he said
with the curious soft sing-song intona-
ton of the Nassau "conch."
That's just what was thinking II
was" ! said.
Il know what you mean," he replied,
his lonely face lighting up as faces do
at unexpected understanding In q
stranger. 'Of course there are some
that feel that way, but they're few and
far between"
mot enough to make a fortune out
OFF,
oh! do pretty WELL" he said; 81
mustn't complain. Moneys not every.
thing, you see, In a business like
this. There's going after the things
you know. Ones got to count that In
too"
| l looked at him in some surprise.
/ had met something even rarer than
the things he traded in. / had met a
merchant Of dreams, to whom the mere
handling of his merchandise seemed
sufficient profit: There's going after
the things, you know. Ones got to
| count that In too"
Naturally we were neck-deep In talk
In moment. 1 wanted to hear all he
cared to tell me about "going after
the things"-such 'things !"-and he
was nothing 10th, as he took up one
strange or beautiful object after an
other, his face aglow, and he quite
evidently without thought Of doing
business, and told me all about them
how and where he got them, and so
forth.
But" he said presently, encouraged
by my unfeigned interest, II should
like to show you few rarer things !
have in the house, and which
wouldn't sell, or even show to every
one. If you'd honor me by taking a
cup of tea we might look them over"
So we left the little store, with Its
door unlocked as I had found it, and
a few steps brought us to little house
l had not before noticed, with neat
| garden in front of it, all the garden
beds symmetrically bordereG with
| conch shells. Shells were evidently
| the simple>hearted fellows mania, his
revelation Of the beauty of the world.
Here In a neat parlor, also much dec
grated with shells, tea was served to
us by the little girl 1 had first seen
and an elder sister, who, l gathered,
made all the lonely dreamers family.
Then, shyly pressing on me cigar, he
turned to show me the promised treas
ures. He also told me more of his
manner Of finding them, and Of the
| long trips which he had to take In
seeking them, to out-of-the-way Gays
and in dangerous waters.
| He was showing me the last and
rarest Of his specimens. He had kept,
| he said, the best to the last. To me,
| as a layman, 1t was not nearly so at
tractive as other things he had shown
me-little more to my eye than rath-
er commonplace though pretty shell ;
but he explained that 1t was found,
or had so far been found, only In one
spot in the islands, lovely, seldom
visited cay several miles to the north
east of Ardros island.
"What is 1t called?" I asked, for 1t
was part of our plan for Charlie to do
a little duck shooting on Andres, be-
fore we tackled the business of Tobias
and the treasure.
"It's called Cay nowadays"
he answered. "but 1t used to be called
Short Shrift island"
"Short Shrift island" I cried in
spite of myself, Immediately annoyed
at my lack of presence Of mind.
Certainly" he rejoined. looking a
little surprised but evidently without
| suspicion. He was too simple and too
taken up with his shell.
at Is such an odd NAME" / said,
irving to f-cvver myself.
| "Yes those old pirate chaps GER
| tainly did think up some of the rum
miest names"
zone of the pirate haunts, was itf"
7 oueried with assumed Indifference.
"Supposed to be. But one hea4s
that of every other cay in the BAHIA
mas. / take no stock in such yarns.
NV shells are all the treasure l expect
to find"
.What did you call that shellY' !
| asked.
| He told me the name, but forgot
II Immediately. OF course had asked
II only for the sake of learning more
precisely about Short Shrift island. He
told me innocently enough just where
| 1t lay.
.Are you going after it?'' he laughed.
"Ohi WE'LL" l replied, Il am going
ON a duck shooting trip to Andres be-
| 60 LONG and I thought / might drop