The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-08-22

No- TTnInk you would always be an
open foe"
Indeed / wouldr' / answered with
a flash of wrath Then, as 1 remem-
bered the need of haste, spoke in an
intense quick whisper. Listen
can't explain. there isn't time. 1 can
only ask you to trust me-to agree to
what Miss Browne wishes. Every
thing-you don't dream how much
depends on til For l felt that /
would let the treasure lie hidden I'm
the Island Queen forever rather than
that Mr. Tubbs should, under the orig
inal contract, claim a share of it.
The doubt had quite left his face.
81 do trust you, little Virginia" he
said gently 'Yes, 1 trust in your
honesty, heaven knows, child. But
permit me to question your wisdom in
desiring to enrich our friend Tubbs."
Enrich im-enrich him. The best
l wish him Is unlimited Cruel in an
almshouse somewhere. MOI What /
want is to get that wretched paper
of Miss Brownies nulIified. Afterward
We NdAl ul4luN UP dS VIC
Bewilderment, shot with CLEAN of
Neutrality-suspicious. understanding, seemed
to transfix him. We stood a long mo-
ment, our eyes challenging each 9TH
er, exchanging their countersign of
faith and steadfastness. Then slowly
he held out his hand. / laid mine in
tive stood hand in hand, comrades
ut lost p.A- L.
turned away and strobe over to the
council of three.
The group dissolved and moved rap
idly toward us. Miss Browne, ex-
ultant, beaming, was in the van. She
set her substantial feet down. like a
charger paving the earth. You might
almost have said that Violet pranced.
Aunt Jane was round-eyed and twit-
tering. Mr.. Tubbs wore look of
suppressed establishment, almost Of
perturbation. whats his gamer
was the question in the sophisticated
eye of Mr.. Tubbs. But the Scotchman
had, when he chose, perfect poker
face. The great game of bluff would
have suited him to nicely.
Miss Browne advanced on Cuthbert
Vane and seized both his hands In an
ardent clasp.
"Mr. Vane," she said with solemnity,
II thank you-in the name of this ex-
petition thank you-for the influence
you have exerted upon your friends"
And this seemed to be to the noble
youth the most stunning of all the
shocks of that eyentful morning.
Now came the matter of drawing up
the new agreement 1t was a canny
| Scot indeed, who. acting on the hint
/ had just given him, finally settled its
terms. In the first place, the previous
agreement was declared null and void.
In the second Mr. Tubbs was to have
| his fourth only if the treasure were
discovered through his direct agency.
And it was under this condition and
no other that Dugald Shaw bound
himself TO relinquish his original
| claim. Virginia Harding signed a new
! renunciatory clause, but 1t bore only
on treasure discovered by Mr.. Tubbs.
Indeed. the entire contract was Of
force only if Mr. Tubbs fulfilled his
part of 1t, and fell to pieces If he did
not. Which was exactly what i
| wanted
| No difficulty was made of the alb
sence of Captain Magnus as his in
terests We're unaffected by the change.
Space was left for his signature. Mine
came last of all, as that of a mere ini-
| terioper and hanger-on.
Ny demonstrations of joy at this
1 happy issue of my hopes had to be
confined to smile-in which for q
startled instant Violet had seemed to
sense the triumph 1t was still on my
lips as with general movement we
rose from the table about which we
had been grouped during the absorb
| ing business of drawing up the con-
tract Cookie had been clamoring for
US to leave, that he might spread tn
table for lunch had opened m!
mouth to call him. ''All right, Cookie 2
when a shrill yoIley of barks from
Crusoe shattered the stiffness of th'
drowsy air. In the same instant thu
voice of Cookie. raised to sharp not,
of alarm, rang through the camp:
i My Gawd. what all dis yere mean?
Il | turned, to look into the muzzle o
a rifle.