Year: 1874

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chest found its resting place. Then the
earth was shoveled back and stamped
down; fresh snow was brought and scat
tered over it, and soon not a sign of the
recent disturbance remained. The labor
ers paused, and their captain spoke
again.


"And now, my lads" said he, eve
part for this night. But first let us join
hands, and swear never, in life or death
to reveal what lies beneath yon oak tree
1t belongs to us; we have labOred and
fought for it; let no outsider, then, de-
prive us of it. Tomorrow, if the coast
be clear, we'll heave it up again. but il
we must wait longer, let It be in silence
and if any of US should chance, mean.
while, to part his cable, then let the rest
divide. Come, join hands,"


The men joined hands accordingly,
and swore; and even as the oath was
spoken, the topmost branches of the oak
tree caught the distant sound of horses
hoofs advancing on the frozen road to
the southwark. It strove to whisper the
news to the skipper, as he leaned against
its trunk, but it could not. The sound
came nearer. Now the men had depart
ed, and gone down the slope to the boat.
The skipper remained awhile museing,
with folded arms. At last, in kind of
fanciful humor, he addressed the oak
tree:


~ have confded all i have to thee,
my sturdy friend; see to it that thou
guardest it we'll. Let no golden kernels
be found in thy acorns-no silvery moss
upon thy branches. Let no sign appear
written on thy leaves of the weighty
secret at thy roots. And when the time
comes for thee to present thy gift, whether
1t be tomorrow OF hundred years hence,
let none but friendly eyes see, or friendly
hands accept it. Farewell, till our next
meeting"


So speaking, the skipper turned away
and directed his steps toward the cottage
window, where the light still burned,
and seemed to reflect soft and genial
radiance over his weather-beaten face.
The oak tree was thrilled as it had never
been before. For never yet, in all the
long years of its existence, had any
human being thought of speaking to it.
Mankind, whom it loved so much, had
seemed separated from it forever by a
gulf that every day grew wider and more
deep. But now all was changed. In
moment its loneliness was gone-its soli-
tude was thing of the past. 1t had
become the guardian of a human secret,
the sharer Of human interest, the con-
fidant of human being. 1t quivered to
its topmost twig with happiness, and the
sea rolled All enormous breaker to the
shore, and dashed it into snowy foam, for
sympathy. Scarcely had the sound died
away among the rocks when the sharp
crack of a pistol-shot rang out on the
beach, succeeded by hoarse cries, and the
noise of furious struggle. The skipper
paused, hesitated a moment with his
eyes fixed on the cottage window, and
then, with set teeth, plunged down the
bank and into the midst of the conflict.
In his hand he held pistol. A tall,
military figure stepped out to confront
him, and demanded his surrender. For
answer, the skipper raised his weapon
and fired; the tall military figure reeled
and feel headlong into the snow, but the
skipper also stag sered back, catching at
the air with his hands, and so sank down
upon the shore. The custom-house Off
GERS gathered up their prisoners and
their dead leader, and rode away, leav-
ing Donne lying where he fell. As the
oak tree stood horror stricken, the door
of the cottage opened, and woman with
white, terrified face, came swiftly across
the snow, and knelt down by the body.
She strained the rough form fercely in
her arms, and tried to breathe her life
through his lips. There were no tears
in her eyes; they were unnaturally
bright. After while faint, quivering
smile flickered over her drawn features.
She broke forth in tremulous laughter.


"Wake upl Will, dear Will, wake
up! baby's waiting to kiss thee; wake
up, my darling"


Though her voice was weak and crazed,
vet, Weakening the endless echoes of i'm
mortal love, it made itself heard even
across the mighty chasm of death. For
moment, life futtered back to the
mans heart. He felt her with him, and
was, perhaps, dimly conscious that he
was leaving her destitute in lonely
world. He partly raised his arm, and
pointed upward to where the oak tree
was growing on the summit of the slope.


"Therel" he whispered, "there is
treasure-seek for it"


The woman, STOPPING down, caught his
words, and they remained forever written
i'm her brain. But what their meaning
was she comprehended not, and when
she was found the next morning sitting
by the dead man, stroking his cold face
with hand scarcely less cold, all she
could do was to look vacantly at the
group of plying faces, and say, pointing
upwards:


"There is treasure-aeek for it!


4 4 L l. A. a x.,I,a
the child was crying in the cradle from
cold and hunger. At the sight OF 1t, her
wandering gaze softened and concen.
trated; she took it to her bosom and
became quiet and silent. But If any one
questioned her, or sought to attract or
divert her attention, she only fixed her
weird eyes upon them, and said gently,
pointing upwards:


"There Is treasure-seek for It'll"


So passed that Christmas day, hun
dred years and more ago. During all
that time the heavy secret lay hidden
and unsuspected at the oak trees root.


The widow Donne lived for many
years, and her son grew up to be stall
wart fisherman, known throughout the
country for his strength and courage,
and for the tender care he took of his
widowed mother. She had become q
gentle, quiet woman, with strange, un-
fathomable eyes, that fascinated and over
awed those she looked upon; and the
country people scarcely knowing what
to make of her, decided among them
selves that she must be sort of sibyl or
prophecies, and her insane wanderings
were quoted and discussed as though they
contained germ of wisdem all the more
invaluable because no one could COM
prehend IL. Most often on her lips was
that mysterious saying about the treas
ure; IL was generally considered to be q
religious exhortation, meaning that the
treasures of heaven were to be sought
for; and 1t Is said that moro than one
stubborn spirit, whore heart refused TO
be touched by the good words Of the
parish minister, was quellcd and softened