The Washington herald., 1919-12-15
CHAPTER xxI-coNrINuED.

CHAPTER AAl-CCNTlNUG UGO.s
Norine Evans spoke breathlessly.
''oh. glory! Treasure! Real treasure!
How perfectly exciting! Tell me how
you found 1t. quick! Johnnie, you rs-
member he raved. about . doubloon-"
HE Is raving now," O'Reilly de-
clared. with q sharp stare at his
friend.
The girl turned loyalty to her pa
tient "rll believe you. Mr.. Varona-
always believe everything about
ire the more implicitly believe in II.
] simply adore pirates and such
things: IL were a man I'd be one
To you know. I've always been
t.mpted tu bury my money and then
60 look for it,
You're making fun Of me. what!"
Esteban eyed the pair doubtfully.
mo, MOI" Norine was indignant.
Johnnie doesn't believe In pirates or
treasure. or-anythinS. He doesn't
even believe in fairies. and he's Irish.
too. But do. revel In such things.
II you don't go on. I'll blow up"
There Is no doubt that my father
had q great deal of money at one
time" Esteban began; he was the
richest man In the richest city Of Cuba
and ...."
O'ReilIy shook his head dubiously
and braced his back against Q tree
trunk; there was q look Of mild dis
appreciation on his face as he listened
to the familiar story Of Don Esteban
and the slave, Sebastian.
ioung Esteban told the tala we'll
His own faith In 1t lent q certain con-
vincingness to his words and Norine
| Evans hung upon them entranced.
She was horrified at the account Of
Don Esteban's death; her eyes grew
dark as Esteban told of his and Rosa's
childhood with their avaricious step
mother. That part of the narrative
| which had to do with the death OF
Dona Isabel and the finding OF the
gold coin was new to O'Reilly and he
found himself considerably impressed
by it. When Esteban had finished.
Norine drew a deep breath.
''Oh! That lays over any story
i ever heard. To think that the deeds
and the jewels and everything are in
the well at this minutei How could
you go away and leave them?"
Il didn't think 1t out at the time
I didn't evolve my theory until after
I had fed. Naturally. l wasn't able
to get back"
But suppose somebody finds itr'
Norine was aghast at the thought
Not much chance OF that The
treasure has lain there for q genera
ton. and the story itself Is almost
forgotten" Esteban turned triumph
anuy to OReilly saying. Now then.
do you think I'm so crazy?"
O'Reilly didn't have 1t In his heart
to say exactly what he really thought.
The circumstances of the discovery
/ Of the coin were odd enough, certain
ly. but 1t seemed to him that they
were capable of several explanations.
II. indeed, there had ever been a
doubloon and IL Esteban had found
II in the dead hand of his stepmother.
that, in O'Reilly's opinion, by no
means proved the existence OF the
mythical Varona hoard. nor did 1t
solve the secret Of its whereabouts
What he more than half suspected
was that some favored fancy had
| formed Judgement in Esteban's brain.
TITS an interesting theory" he ad-
mitted- Anyhow. three Is no danger
of the treasure being uncovered very
soon. Cueto had a good look and
made himself ridiculous. You'll have
ample chance to do likewise when the
war Is over"
You must help me ind It." said
Esteban. I'VE shall all share the for
tune equally. you two. Rosa and l.
I'VE? Why should we share In it?''
Norine asked.
Il owe 1t to you. Didn't O'Reilly
rescue me from . dungeon? Haven't
you nursed me back to health? Don't
l owe my life to you both?"
Nonsense! l, for one, sha'n't take