The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1919-07-24
"You Don't seem~.Afraid Of Thieves" !"

| WIN thS SuIlOuS bOlI SIuR-SOuR lQIOOd-
tion Of the Nassau "conch."
That's just what was thinking 1t
was" said.
| Il know what you mean," he replied,
his lonely face lighting up as fnces Go
at unexpected understanding In q
stranger. "Of course there are some
that feel that way, but they're few and
far between"
"Not enough to make fortune out
Off"
"Oh! do pretty WE'LL" he said; II
mustn't complain. Moneys not every
thing, you see, In a business like
this. There's going nfter the things,
you know. Ones got to count that in
too"
l looked at him In some surprise.
/ hud met something even rarer than
the things he traded I'm. had met a
mer chant 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. ] wanted to hear all he
cared to tell me about "going after
the things"-such "things r-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 a few rarer things l
have In the house, and which !
wouldn't sell. or even show to every
one. If you'd honor me by taking q
cup of tea we might look them over"
SO We left the little store. with It's
door unlocked as I had found it and
q few steps brought us to little 8ouse
[ had not before noticed, with a neat
garden in front Of 1t. all the garden
beds symmetrically bordered with
cOnch shells. Shells were evidently
the simple-hearted fellows mania, his
revelation of the beauty OF the world.
Here In neat parlOr, also much dec
Grated with shells. tea was served to
us by the little girl had first Seen
and an elder sister, who. ] gathered.
made all the lonely dreamer's 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 layman, 1t was not nearly 80 at
| trnctive as other things he had shown
me-llttle more to my eye than rath-
er commonplace though pretty shell !
hut he explained that 1t was found,
or had so far been found, only In one
spot in the islands, a lovely, seldom
visited cay several miles to the north
east Of Andres island.
"What is 1t called2" I asked, for It
was part Of our plan for Charlie to do
a little duck shooting on Andros, 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.
"It is such an odd name," said,
trying to recover myself.
"Yesi those old pirate chaps GER
tainly did think up some Of the rum
miest names"
"One Of the pirate haunts, was itr'
I queried with assumed Indifference.
Supposed to be. But one hears
that Of every other cay In the BAHIA
mas. / take no stock In such yarns
My shells are all the treasure expect
to And"
"what did you call that shelli" ]
asked.
He told me the name. but I forgot