Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1922-01-27
SPANISH By T f4N555z
DOUBLOONS : :::::
COPYRIGHT
THE BOBBS-MERRILL
COMPANY

wash of the sea- l seated myself on
the cabin roof, extracted hairpin, and
began carefully separating the close
written pages. The first three or four
were quite illegibIe, the ink having
run. Then the writing became clear
er. l made out a word here and
there:
-. directions vague. !. ;. my grand
father-man ruffian but ;. no mo-
tive. police of Havana. !. . .frightful
den. grandfather made sure. reg
fstry. .Bonny Lass. -"
And at that / gave small excited
shrek which brought Crusoe to me in
hurry. What had he to do, the
writer Of this journal, what had he
to do with the Benny Lass?
Breathlessly read on:
e.. thought captain still living but
not sure. 4. lost. :. .Benito Bon. :"
closed the book. Now, while the
coast was clear, / must get back to
camp. 1t would take hours, perhaps
days, to decipher the journal which
had suddenly become of such supreme
Importance. | must smuggle 1t unob-
served into my own quarters, where
| could read at my leisure. AS set
out dropped the silver shoe-buckle
into my pocket, smiling to think that
1t was who had discovered the first
bit of precious metal on the island.
Yet the book in my hand, | felt in
stinctively, was of more value than
many shoe-buckles.
Safely in my hammock, with pill
low under which / could slip the book
in case Of interruption, / resumed the
reading. From this point on, although
the writing was somewhat faded, it
was all, with little effort, legible.
THE DIARY.
IF Sampson did live to tell his
secret, then any day there may be a
sail In the offing. And still I cannot
find til Oh, If my grandfather had
been more worldly wise! If he hadn't
been too intent on the eternal welfare
of the man he rescued from the Ha-
vana tavern brawl to question him
about his story. A cave on Leeward
island-nearby stone marked with
the letters B. FL. and cross-bones-
/ told the captain said the poor dy-
ing wretch, we wouldn't have no luck
after playing it that low down on Bill Y
So / presume Bill lies under the stone.
"Well, all / have is in this venture.
The old farm paid for the Island
Queen-or will, if / don't get back in
time to prevent foreclosure. All my
staid New England relatives think me
mad. A copra gathererl A fine ca
reer for minister's son! Well, when
get home with my Spanish doub-
looms there will be another story to
tell. won't be poor crazy Peter
then. And Helen-oh, how often
wish had told her everything! It
was too much to ask her to trust me
bIindly as / did But from that mo-
ment / came across the story in grand
fathers old, half-forgotten diary-by
the way, the diary habit seems to run
In the family-a very passion of Sc
crecy has possessed me. If l had told
Helen, l should have had to dread
that even in her sweet sleep she
might whisper something to put that
ferret, her stepmother, on the scent.
Oh, Helen, trust me, trust mel
December %. / have a calendar
with me, so am not reduced to notch
Ing a stick to keep track Of the days.
/ mark off each carefully In the cal
endar. If were to forget to do this,
even for a day or two, / believe I
should quite lose track. The days are
SO terribly alikel
my predecessor here in the copra-
gathering business, old Heinz, really
left me very snug establishment. It
was odd that should have run across
him at Panama that way.
christmas Day. / wonder what
they are all doing at homer
(TO BE CoNTINUED.)