The Hays free press., 1921-07-21
How Love
Retrieved a Fortune
By HAROLD SINCLAIRE
9. lszl. Western Newspaper Union,)


the money he could to nit out an ex-
peditiOn 10 Australia to import new
breed of sheep. The Lovely Lass was
purchased, sailed away with her young
brother in charge. was wrecked in a
terrible storm at sea, and Lisle Evans
came home crippled, a pauper and his
health broken.
The worst of it was that when all
hands were forced TO abandon the
Lovely Lass $50 miles west of the
South. American coast. in the rush and
peril OF the occasion Lisle had left IN
q certain box in a certain part Of its
cabin over $4,000 in money to buy the
ship with, and papers representing as
much more. An abandoned derelict,
the captain and crew gave her up for
lost The blow crushed the proud
spirit OF old Colonel Evans. He had
mortgaged his home to fit out the
venture. In some way ROlfe Daniels
had secured the notes. He pressed
payment. Ruin stared the Evans fam
lily in the face. 1t was then that Dan
ielS proposed to cancel the obliga-
ton if Myra would become his wife.
One day Lisle Evans called upon
Melvin. There were tears in his eyes
as he spoke of Myra. >~
Listen. Melvin" he said, this mar
riage must never take place. can
do nothing in my condition, but you
if I show you possible chance to save
Myra, what would you say?"
You know without asking re-
sponded Melvin, with deep emotion.
IT would give my life for her, for any
member of her family.
Then listen, my friend. I am sat
isfied that Lovely Lass is still af1oat,"
declared Lisle. II feel certain that
somewhere on the bosom OF the broad
Pacific she is knocking about, with
that treasure, which means the saliva
tiOn of our family, aboard. LlOyd's
Register has listed her fOundered,'
but this marine obit was later changed
to abandoned at sea- A tramp
schooner sighted her 600 miles west of
Chilli
For two days Melvin Warrington re
fiected over this interview. Two
months later, the devoted lover found
himself the inmate of a hotel at Val
paraiso. He chartered a small yacht.
From close investigation Melvin had
decided that the Lovely Lass, if afiOat,
was grounded in some of the numer-
Gus inlets of the Djalmi islands.
The day before the yacht sailed.
brisk, business appearing young man
named Hudson sought ont Melvin.
81 learn you are going on cruise
to the Djalmi islands, he observed.
"I will pay you $500 to take me there
and return
OF course Melvin accepted the Of
fer.
When the yacht reached the Djalmi
islands, Melvin ordered that ii land
him on the barren eastern coast of
the largest of the group To his sur
prise. when he left the yacht. Hudson
accompanied him.
Neither disclosed his purpose III the
curious i;sInt. That day shorty after
noon. while lining an iinpas able
ravine. they came 70 rude bamboo
bridge. They had just traverse q H.
them, and half q hundred >ay:.-cs IN
peared in the distance.
we are safe. 80 long a. thcy can
not cross" observed hudson. I'll fix
that"
He opened the satchal "a" car"ied
selected an oblOng package. opened
one end and gave it fling In aR III
stant The bridge was shattered 10
atoms
Dynamite" explained Hudson, and
Melvin marveled more than ever at the
eccentric comrade who went about
loaded with the deadly explosive.
They camped that night near the
west shore At daybreak Melvin was
on the move. He went along the
shore, came to an inlet, and there dis
mantIed and lying on her beam ends,
was-the Lovely Lass.
How his heart beat as he swan to
the wreck and decended into the
water-lOgged cabin, to find the hiding
place, and with 1.-THE precious tin
box!
Melvin came back to the deck with
a cheer, the box thrust in his bosom.
He Glanced to glance ashore. There
stood Hudson. He had just fired at
the wreck one OF his sticks of dyna-
mite.
Just in time Melvin dove. A fright
full crash sounded out. He came ashore
finally, to confront %he astOnished
Hudson.
Then there were mutual explana-
tiOns. Hudson was a special repre-
sentative of LlOyds commissioned at
any cost 10 destroy the derelict
Cone minute more inside that ship"
shuddered Melvin. and she would
never have known my fate. -
.She?' questioned Hudson, with
his usual quaint, challenging smile.
Yes. the sweetest. dearest. l0veliest
woman in the world!' replied Melvin.
with fervOr.
He knew that she was all his own
three months later, when he handed
to Colonel Evans the little tin box res