Vnable, by reason of my affliction. to method of replying lo the (riends wHq * my b elp le w n e s s . flood „ , sympathetic and m ail, and of saying ,o them «ha, words are lmpoteI)t tQ my appreciation of the.r kind thoughtfulness. The self-denying helpfulu. s', of those volunteers who have m inistered in the sickroom, and all who have visited spoken w ord, of love and hope, w ill also have a sacred m y memory. Thank you, friends. T hank you her of sand. Whatever salt tn the ontiij 1- A n u s t ill i et wounds there were iu her burled sides And It ! Oh. If were hidden. Vo« felt that some wild b e e n m ...a uw .u.y my w grandfather , ; lu , enprlce of the storm had lifted her been too Intent on the eternal welfare and set her down here, not ^oo rough of the man he rescued from the H a ­ 1}. then whirled away and left her vana tavern braw l to question him to the sand. , about hts story. A cave on Leeward Crusoe slipped Into the narrow space inland— nearby a stone marker! with under the roof o f the cabin, and I the letters B. H. and a cross-bones— leaned Idly down to watch him through T told the captain,' said the poor dy- Th“ ’ '! * ? Sea™ the planks j Ing wretch, ‘we wouldn't have no luck Then 1 found that I was looking, not a fte r playing It that low down on Bill !• at Crusoe, but Into a little dim tn- So I presume S ill lies under the stoue. closure like a locker. In which some “W ell, all I have is ln this venture. small object fain tly caught the light. The old farm paid for the Island With a revived hope of finding relics, Queen— or will, | f I d.m't get hack In I (tot out my knife-—a present from tim e to prevent foreclosure. A ll my Cuthbert \ aue— und set briskly to staid New England relatives think me work widening the seam. mad. A copra g atherer! A tine ca I penetrated finally into a small reer for a minister's son ! Well, when locker or cubby hole, get In the angle I get home w ith my Spanish doub­ under the roof o f the cahln. and, as loons there w ill be another story to subsequent Investigation showed, so tell. I won't be poor eruxy Peter placed as to attract no notice from the then. And Helen— oh, how often 1 Casual eye. 1 ascertained this by wish I hnd told her everything! It lying down and wriggling my head was too much to ask her to trust me and shoulders Into the cabin. In oth­ blindly as I did. But from that mo­ er words, 1 had happened fin a little ment I came across the story In grand private depository, in which the own father's old, half-forgotten diary— by er of the sloop might stow away cer­ the way, the diary habit seems to run tain small matters that concerned him in the fam ily— a very passion o f se­ ntlmntely. Yet the contents of the locker at first seemed trifling. They crecy has possessed me. I f I had told Helen, I should have had to dread were an old-fashioned digged sliver that even in her sweet sleep she shoe-buckle, and a brown-covered man­ might whisper something to put thal uscript book. , i ferret, her stepmother, on the scent, The book had suffered much from j Oh, Helen, trust me. trust me! dampness, whether of ral'ne or the “December 25. I have a calendar wash of the sea. I seated myself on with me, so l a m not reduced to notch the cabin roof, extracted a hairpin, and l Ing a stick to keep track of the day hegnn carefully separating the close- ! I mark off each carefully In the cal written pages. The first three or four ! endar. I f I were to forget to do this, C a lifo rn ia S u n s h in e and O r a n g e s Appeal to countless thousands each year W hy not go to California's Sunny Southland «Ins w inter ? T here you w ill en;o) the warmth of t o unclouded »un, the bathing beaches, outdoor »ports and the fragrance of flowers and oranges. Through Sleeping Cars % Observation and Dining Cars Via The Scenic Shasta route Provide all the comforts of modern travel. Tlie rail journey affords an opportunity of teeing many interesting places along the W ay. Round Trip Excursion Tickets are on sale to Santa Barbara...Ix>s Angeles...San Diego For fares, train «chedules, descriptive foblersor sleeping car reserva­ tions, ask Ticket Agents, or write Southern Pacific Lines J O H N M SCOTT, General Passenger Agent I even for a day or two, I believe I j should quite lose track. Th'e days are so terribly a lik e !. any elaborate work of conceataeut “My predecessor h e r e jn the copra Moat likely they laid the che.t In some the cave under the point was useless. gathering business, old Heintz, really left me a very snug establishment. It iiatural niche. Sailors are unskilled ( I f he hnd knowp the strange confirm­ In the use of such Implements as c o p v ra is -H T T > L g B O B B S - P 5 E R . r ? . | i i C O fd P A N Y atory echo which this awoke lu my was odd that I should have run aerosi spades, and besides, the very heart of m ind!) him at Panama that way. He proposed That the shore SY N O PS IS . I he undertaking was haste and •» or th«, lalnnd to a reasonable distance Cookie took his hands out of the wa­ "Christmas Day I I wonder what •’ recy. They must have worked they are all doing nt home? on eith er side of the buy entrance ter and wiped off the suds, casting C H A P T E R I. -J a n e H a r d in g respect­ night and between tw o tides, for few should be snrveyetl, w ith a view to ¡•bout stealthy and mysterious glances. "December 28. ( i f course the eave able and co n s e rva tiv e old s p fn s te r-b u t >r the eaves can he reached except a I n e ie r too old to th in k o f m a rria g e —w ith under the point Is the logical place. I Then he rolled a dubious eye at me. liseover whether some other eave did ihe ebb. And I take It as certain that more m oney th a n brains, is inveigled by have been unable to find any stout “W hat was It, Cookie?” I urged. not exist which would answer the de­ a strong-m inded spinster. Miss H lgg lesb y- he cave must have opened dlreetly Bi-owne. Into fin an cing an expedition to marked B H . on the ground above It, scription given by the dying Hopper- "W ar am Cap'n now?” >n tlie sea For three iRpn to trans i- n t for burled trea s u re on i-eew ard but I fear that a search a fte r B ill’s down as well ns that first explored. “Down on the beach; he can’t possi­ Island H e r alece. V ir g in ia H a rd in g , un­ port such a weight and bulk by land d e rtak in g to stop her. gets on the vessel tombstone would be hopeless. Under bly hear you.” Mr. sbaw s words were addressed to would be sheer Impossibility î" * ,84! 8*1 for.„t,he h u n t’ an d ln ‘ he confu­ circumstances such as those of tin ihe Indies, the organizer and financier, “You won't say nothin' to git Cookie sion is u n w illin g ly c a rrie d along. “February 10. Today a « ran ge mate's story, It seems to me that all In a rumpus?" espectlvely, of the expedition, to the thing happened— so strange, the probabilities point to their con very deliberate exclusion of M r Tubbs. . I I . —B y no m eans concealing "Cross my heart to die, Cookie.” wonderful and glorious that It distaste fo r the expedition and her Hilt he might ns well have made up his "W ell, deo”— Cookie spoke In a ceallng the chest In the cave wit? contempt for its m em bers, V irg in ia makes might to be recorded In luminous Ink the acquaintance o f (he H o n o ra b le C u th ­ nlnd to recognize the trium virale. En­ hoarse whisper— “Cap’n say he forglt an opening on the buy. To get the And I owe It all to Benjy I L ittle dog bert Vane, and is som ew hat impressed. boat, laden with the heavy chest, throned on a camp-chai? sat Auttt to lake his gun ca’tridges. Miss Jinny, vou - shall go In a golden collar and through the surf fo any o f the othei lane, like a little goddess of the Dol­ a h 7 iA I»TE ? I H - —T a lk in g w ith Dugald when he come back, I see him empty ♦*bt Innih chops every Shaw, the leader o f the expedition. V ir - day I This lar Sign, and on one hand Mr. Tubbs eaves— If the various cracks and fls his gun ca’tridges out'n hlg belt and morning— M '® r y fr a n k ly expresses her views, sures I have seen are Indeed properly mlled blandly, nnd on the other VI- put back h!s pistol cartridges. So dere rnTm V ïï y * “ ualn< ¡« la w and the other Across my absorption In the diary members o f the p a rty . In cluding a some­ now !” to be called eaves— would lie silfi •et rliHimed Yon «