Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1921-12-22
cOPYRIcHT
THE BoBBs-M MERRILL
COMPANY

at Crusoe, but into little dim IN
closure like a locker, in which some
small object family caught the light.
With a revived hope Of finding relics
I got out my knife-a present from
Cuthbert Vane-and set briskiy 10
work widening the seam.
/ penetrated finally into a small
locker or cubby-hole, set in the angle
under the roof Of the cabin. and, as
subsequent investigation showed, so
placed as to attract no notice from the
casual eye. ! ascertained this by
lying down and wriggling my head
and shoulders into. the cabin. IN Oth-
err words, / had happened on a little
private depository, In which the own
er of the sloop might stow away GER
tain small matters that concerned him
intimately. Yet the contents of the
locker at first seemed trffilng. They
were an Old-fashiOned chased silver
shoe-buckle, and brown-covered man
uscript book.
The book had suffered much from
dampness, whether Of rains or the
wash of the sea. / seated myself on
the cabin roof, extracted hairpin, and
began carefully separating the close
written pages. The first three or four
IMere quite illegible, the Ink having
run. Then the writing became clear
er. made out q word here and
there:
q. directions vague. my grand
fath0r-man ruffian but. mo mo-
, tive. (. police Of Havana. .frightful
den. !. grandfather made sure. reg
/, istry .Bonny Lass.
And at that gave small excited
[ shrek which brought Crusoe to me in
! a hurry. What had he to do, the
) writer Of this journal, what had he
i to do with the Benny Lass2
Breathlessly read on:
a.. thought captain still living but
3 not sure. lost. Benito Bon.
! / closed the book. Now, while the
coast was clear, must get back to
'. camp. 1t would take hours, perhaps
" DAYS. to declpher the journal which
Il had suddenly become of such supreme
y Importance. / must smuggle 1t unoD-
It served into my own quarters, where
Il could read at my leisure. AS l set
v out / dropped the silver shoe-huckle
r into my pocket. smiling to think that
IS 1t was who had discovered the first
" bit of precious metal on the island.
= Yet the book In my hand, felt In
q stInctiyely. was Of more value than
IL many shoe-buckles.
II Safely In my hammock, with pill
ID low under which could slip the book
n in case OF interruption. resumed the
le reading. From this point on, although
Is the writing was somewhat faded. 1t
was ali. with a little effort, legible.
g THE DIARY.
as IF Sampson did live to tell his
10 secret, then any day there may be
IS. sail in the ofing. And still | cannot
in find it! Oh, If my grandfather had
ne Ebeen more worldly wise! If he hadn't
e. been too intent on the eternal welfare
ed OF the man he rescued from the Ha
yana tavern brawl to question hin
l about his story. A cave on LeewarC
4 lsland--nearby a stone marked with
HI the letters B. H. and cross-bones-
w i told the captain said the poor dy
Al ing wretch, I'VE wouldn't have no lucE
M after playing 1t that low down on Bill
NN So presume Bill lies under the stone
vi sWelI, all have is in this venture
81 The old farm paid for the Islan'
Il Queen will, If don't get back il
time to prevent foreclosure. All m.
staid New England relatives think M
q mad. "a copra gatherer! A fine ca
reer for q minister's soDi Well, whel
II get home with my Spanish douh
II looms there win be another story t
tell.S won't be poor crazy Pete
Fl then. And Helen-oh, how often
81 wish / had told her everything!
N was too much to ask her to trust m
M blfndiy as did. But from that me
~ ment / came across the story in grand
y fathers old, half-forgotten diary--b
the way, the diary habit seems to ru
In the family--a very passion Of 81
crecy has possessed me. II had tol
Helen, ]: should have had to drea
THAT even In her sweet sleep sh
might whisper something to put this
!. ferret, her stepmother, on the seen
Oh, Helen, trust me. trust mel
:. aDecember Is. / have a calends
with me, 90 / am not reduced to note
~ ing i stick to keep track Of the day
~. / mark on each carefully in the CO
~ endar. II / were to forget to do thu
even Tor day or two. believe
~. should quite lose track. The days q
50 terribly alikel
-. ~hEy predecessor here in the copr
=. gathering business. old Heintz, real
LETT me very snug establishment.
eh was odd that should have run aero
NJ him at Panama that way.
ny, @ChrIstmas Dayl wonder uh
~ they are ali doing at homel
49, .op m s,,,lsTfraryrr,N