The Ordway new era., 1922-04-14

Mr. Tubbs rose from the log with
promptness.
Captain" he said earnestly, from
long experience in the. financial CEN
ters of the country, have got to be
man what understands human ma
ture. The minute l looked at you, L
seen 1t in your eye that there wasn't
no use in tryin' to bluff you. You are
congenial crowd, you boys-gosh,
but you do look good 10 me after the
bunch o. stiffs l been playin' up to
here! All ask is, to let me in on it
with you. and I'll be glad to put you
wise to the best tricks of a sly old
fox who amt ever been caught yet
without two holes to his burrow. /
won't ask no half, nor no quarter,
either, though l just signed up for
that amount with the old girl here.
But give me freedom, and n bunch O.
live wires like you boys! I've near
froze into a plaster figure o. Virtue,
what with talkin' like Il Sunday school
class, and sparkin' one old maid and
maxim out like wouldn't melt butter
with the other. So II. II. will ship
along Of you, mates, and We'll off to
the China coast somewheres where
the spendin' is good and the police
not too noisy, and try how far
trunkful of doubloons will gor
With a choky little gurgle in her
throat Aunt Jane fell Imply against
me. 1t was too much All day long
she had been tossed back and forth
like shuttlecock by the battledore of
emotion. She had borne the shock
of Mr.. Tubbs' sordid greed for gold,
his disloyalty to the expedition, his
cOldness to herself; she had been shak-
Ell by the tender stress of the rec
onciliation, had been captured lby
pirates, and now suffered the supreme
blow of this final revelation of the
treachery of Tubbs. To hear her ro-
nance described as the sparkling of an
old maid-and by the sparkeri From
Miss Higglesby-Browne had come a
snort of fury, but she said nothing,
having apparently no confidence in
the effect of oratory on pirates. She
did not even exhort Aunt Jane, but
left 1t to me to sustain my dropping
aunt as best 1 could.
AS Mr.. Tubbs made his whole-heart-
ed and magnanimous proposal Captain
Tony opened his small black eyes and
contemplated him with attention.
Then he glanced round upon his fel-
lows.
What say. boys? Shall we ship
old Washtubs on the schooner and
let him have his fling along with us?
Eh?" And as Captain Tony uttered
these words the lid of his left eye
eclipsed for an instant that intelIi-
gent optic.
From the pirates came n scattering
volley of assents. "All right-hooray
for old Washtubs-sure, close the
deal"
"All right, Washtubs, the boys are
willing. So l guess we better be NOV
ing toward that chest of doubloons." :"
1t was arranged that Slinker and a
cross-eyed man named Horny should
remain at the camp on guard. AS a
measure of precaution Cookie, too,
was bound, and Aunt Jane, Miss
Browne and l ordered into the cabin.
The three remaining pirates, armed
with our spades and picks and dis
pensing a great deal of jocular pro-
family, set out for the cave under the
guidance of Mr.. Iubbs.
Thankful as / was for the depart
ure of Captain Magnus, 1 underwent
torments in the sitting interior of
the cabin. Aunt Jane wept piteously.
AT last heard a faint moan:
"Virginia. !"
/ went to her. "Yes, auntie?"
Virginia." she murmured, 81 think
shall not live to leave the island,
even If / am nOt-not executed. In
fact, l have a feeling now as though
the end were approaching. l have al
ways known that my heart was not
strong, even if your Aunt Susan did
call 1t indigestion. But oh, my dear
child, 1t is not my digestion-it is my
heart that has been wounded! To have
reposed such confidence in a serpent
To realize that might have been i'm
paled upon its fangs! Oh, my dear,
faithful child, what would have done
If you had not clung to me although
l permitted serpents to turn me from
you! But am cruelty punished. All
ask is that some day-when you are
married and happy, dear-you will re-
move from this desolate spot the poor
remains of her who-of her who
Sohs choked Aunt James utterance.
Jane" began Miss Higglesby-
Browne.
Il was speaking to my niece" re-
piled Aunt Jane with unutterable dig
nifty from her corner. Her small fea-
lures had all but disappeared In her
swollen face, and her hair had slipped
down at rakish angle over one eye.
But, Of course, being Aunt Jane, she
must choose this moment to be queen
ly.