The Ocala evening star., 1921-08-19


Found I'll"
of the Island Queen. Indeed, should
have shrfeked the words aloud but
for a providentiaI dumbness that fell
upon me.
Friends" Mr. Tubbs began, sit has
been known from the start that there
was a landmark on this little old
island that would give any party dis
covering the same line on that chest
Of money right away. There's been
some that was too high up in the ex-
ploring business TO waste time looking
for landmarks. They had ruther do
more fancy stunts, where what with
surf, and sharks, and bangin' up the
boat, the& could make a good show
of gettin' busy. But old Ham Tubbs.
he don't let on to be hero. Jest a
plain man o. busiDess-that's old H. H.
Consequence is, he leaves the other
fellers have the brass band, while he
sets out on the q. t. TO run certain
little clue TO earth And, ladies and
gentlemen, he's run it"
you have found--you have found
the treasured" shriiled Aunt Jane.
Contrary to his bland custom, Mr..
Tubbs frowned at her darkly.
Il said found the clue" he cor
rected. "Of course, it's the same
thing. Ladies and gentlemen, not TO
appear to be hot-air artist, i will
tell you in a word, that / have located
the tombstone of one William Halli-
well, deceased %
OF course. Not once had / thought
Of 1t. Bare, stark, glaring up at the
sun, lay the stone carved with the let
ters and the cross-bones. Forgetting
in the haste of my departure to re-
place the vines upon the grave, l had
left the stone to shout its secret TO
the first conner. And that happened to
be Mr. Tubbs. Happened, / say, for
knew that he had not had the slight
est notion where to look for the grave
of Bill Halliwell. This running TO
earth OF clues was purely an affair Of
his own picturesque imagination.
wondered uneasily what he had
made of the uprooted vines-but he
would lay them TO the pigs, no doubt.
In the eountenance of Mr.. Tubbs,
flushed and exultant, there was no
suspicion that the secret was not all
his own.
Miss HiggIesby-B Browne had a closed
umbrella beneath her arm, and she
drew and brandished it like saber
as she took long stride forward.
"Mr. Tubbs," she commanded, '1ead
onP'
But Mr. Tubbs did not lead on. "Oh,
no indeed" he said. "Old H. Fl.
wasn't born yesterday. 1t may have
struck you that TO possess the sole and
exclusive knowledge of the where
about million or twO-ratin' IL
Lows some considerable of an asset.
And it's one 1 ain't got the least idee
of partin' with unless for inducements
held OUT
Aunt Jane gave a faint shrek. ]
had been silently debating what my
own course should be In the face of
this unexpected development Sud
denly / saw my way quite clear /
would say nothing Mr.. Tubbs should
reveal his own perfdy. And the cur
tain should ring down upon the play,
leaving Mr.. Tubbs foiled all around,
bereft both of the treasure and of
Aunt Jane.
Little dreamed what surprises en-
suing acts Of the play were TO hold
for me, or their astounding contrast
with the farce of my joyous imagina-
tion.
took no part in the storm that
ragged round Mr. Tubbs. His face
adorned by seraphic, buttery smile,
he stood unmoved, while Miss Higgles-
by-Browne uttered cyclonie exhorta-
tions and reproaches, while Aunt Jane
sobbed and said. 'Oh, Mr.. Tubbs y
while Mr.. Shaw strove TO make him.
self heard above the din. He did al
least succeed in extracting from the
traitor definite statement of terms
These were nothing less than fifty PEI
| cent OF the treasure, secured to hin
| by a document, sealed and delivered
into his own hands. Tc a suggestion
that as he had discovered the all-im
| portant tombstone, so might some one
else, he replied with tranquility thai
he thought not, as he had taken pre-
cautions against sIIch an eventuality
In other words, as i was later to dis
| cover, the willy Mr.. Tubbs had con
trived TO raise the boulder from 1t:
bed and push it over the cliff into ths
sea, afterward replacing the mass Of
vines upon the grave
i As TO the entrance TO the tunnel, 4
was apparent TO me that Mr.. Tubbl
had not yet discovered ii. Even IL hi
had, am certain that he would hav,
been no more heroic than myself abou
/ exploring il, though there was n,
missing Peter to haunt his imagina
ton But with the grave as a start
ing point, there could be no question
as TO the ultimate discovery Of tha
cave
/ was so eager myself to sc,
the inside OF the cave. and to know
whatever Ii had to reveal Of the fat
of Peter, that I was inclined TO wisl
!. Mr.. Tubbs success in driving his har'
bargain, especially as ii would prof
him nothing In the end But this sen
q tfment was exclusively my own. Oh
i all hands Indignation greeted the RIG
orOus demands Of Mr. Tubbs. With
I rlghteous joy ! saw the feorte 9