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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 20, 1918)
1 THE SEMI WEEKLY TRIBUNE, NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA. RAINBOW S END By REX BEACH Author of "The Iron Trail." "The Spoilers," "Heart of the Sunset," Etc. 'Copyright, by Utrpcr and Brothen) MOTHERS CHAPTER XVIII Continued. 1ft "I hnvo been close to death bo long that It menns little to me," Alio con fessed, "I havo yes nnd well, wltli you at my sldo I can face tho worst." f)b, wo won't glvo up until we hnvo to," he assured her. "If I had raonoy It otild bo a simple proposition to bribe some guard to pass us through the Hues, but I hnvo spent nil thnt Gen eral Botnncourt gnvo me." Ho smoothed back Rosa's dark balr and smiled reassuringly at her. "Well, I'll tnanago somehow ; so don't worry your pretty hend. CT1 find tho price, If I hnvo to waylay old Don Mario and rob him. Dont you think I look like n bandit? The very sight of mo would terrify that fat rascal." "To rat you are beautiful," brenthod tho girt. Then sho lowered hor eyes. "La, lal How I spoil you! I hnvo qulto forgotten how to bo lndyllko. Ien bel was right when she called mo aj bold and forwnrd hussy. Now, then, please turn your face aside, for I wish to think, and so long as you look nt mo I cannot I mnko lovo to you brn enly. Seol Now, then, thnt Is much better. I shall hold your hand, so. When I kiss It you may look nt mo agnln, for a moment" Drawing hcr nelf closer to O'ltellly, Rosa begnn thoughtfully: "Bcforo you enmo I moro than onco was on tho point of nppenl Ing to some of my former friends, but they are nil Spaniards nnd wo nro no longer slmpntlco, you understand?" Rosa paused for his answer. "Perfectly ; Pm In tho enmo fir. Of All tho peoplo I used to know thcro ifh't ono but would denounce mo If I mado myself known. Now thnt I'vo been fighting with tho lnsurrectos, I daren't ovon go to tho Amerlcnn consul fpr help If thero Is an American con mil." Rosa nodded, then continued, hesi tatingly: "I had n vivid dream last night Perhaps it was n portent Who knows? It was about that stepmother Df mlno. You remember how sho met her death? I wroto you " "Yes, and Estebnn also told mo." "It was ho who recovered her body from tho well. Ono day, whllo wo wore In hiding, nway up yonder In tho lYwnurl, ho Bhowcd mo nn old coin " "I know," O'Reilly said quickly. "Ho told mo tho wholo story, no thinks Jhat doubloon Is n cluo to your father's fortuno, but I can't put wuch faith In t In fact, I 'didn't bellovo until this moment that thero was n doubloon at Hll." "Oh, Indeed thero was I I saw It" Thcro was a moment of sllcnco dur ing which tho lovers wcro oblivious to fell but each other, then Rosa mur mured: "IIow strongol Sometimes roar oyos nro bluo nnd somotlmes gray. Doos thnt mean that your lovo, too, can chnngo?" "Certainly not But come, whnt about Estebnn and thnt doubloon?" With nn effort tho girl brought her self back to enrth. "Well, It occurred to mo, In tho light of that dream last night, thnt Estcbau may havo been right Of courso nobody outsldo of our family credits tho old etory, and rat my father was considered a very rich man at ono time. Pnncho Ouoto bellovcd In tho cxlstonco of tho trens tire, and ho was In a position to know." "Truol Perhaps, after nil O'Reilly frowned medltntlvcly. I Rosa lifted herself upon her elbow, ker eyes sparkling. "Wouldn't It bo wonderful If It wcro true? Just think, O'Reilly, cases of Spanish gold, silver coins in casks, packages of gems. Oh. Fro beard Isabel talk about tt often aeough." 1 'TJon't forgot thoso pearls from tho Caribbean, as largo as plums," Johnny Wiled. "I could never qulto swnllow ;hat A pearl tho slro of a currant would buy our freedom right now." After a moment ho went on, moro ecrl susly: "I've n notion to look Into that bid well this very afternoon. I I flare say Pra foolish, but somehow tho atory doesn't sound so Improbable bs It did. Perhaps It 1b worth inves tigating Ho mndo up his mind iwlftly, "I I'm off this very Instant." Whon O'Reilly emerged from tho hut he found Jnckot Industriously ut work over a fragment of grlndstono which ho had somowhero unearthed. Tho boy looked up nt his friend's approach and hold out for Inspection a long, thin file, (which ho was slowly shaping Into a knlfe-blado. "Whnt do you think of thnt?" ho auorlcd proudly. "It may como In kandy when wo aro ready to clear out ef this pesthole." "Whero did you get it?" 1 "Oh, I stole it I steal everything I aa lay my bands on nowadnys. Ono cos never tell when ho may hnvo a taront to cut, and a fllo has good steel la if t -Hinco you are such an accom plished thief, do you think you could steal something for mo?" O'Reilly in quired. "A plcco of ropo?" "Ropo?" Jacket was puzzled. "Ropo Is only good for hnnglng Spaniards, My friend in tho flsU market has Yolnndra, and perhaps I can rob' him bf a halyard." Laying nsldo his task, f ackct aroa and made oft in tho dlrcc Ion of the water front Ho was back tlthln an hour, and under his shirt carrlcti a coll of worn but service able ropo. Without wultlng to explain his need for this unusual article, O'Reilly linked arms with the boy nnd set out to climb Ln Curabre. Whcrt nt last they stood In tho unused qunrry nnd Johnnlo made known his Intention to cxploro tho old well, Jacket re garded him with undisguised amaze ment "What do you expect to find down there?" tho latter Inquired. "To tell you tho truth, I don't really expect to find anything," tho man con fessed. "Now that I'm hero, I'm be ginning to feel silly; nevertheless, I'm going to have a look for tho hidden trensuro of tho Vhronas." "Hidden treasure I" From Jacket's expression It was plain that ho feared his friend was mildly mad. Even after O'Reilly had told him something nbout old Don Estcban's missing riches, ho scouted tho story, no peeped Inquisi tively into tho dark opening of tho well, then ho shook his hend. "Ca rnmbn I What an Idea 1 Was this old man crazy, to thrbw his money nwny?" "Ho ho had moro than ho knew what to do with, nnd ho wished to snvo it from tho Spaniards," O'Reilly explained lamely. "Humph 1 Nobody ever had moro monoy than ho wanted." Tho'boy's dis gust at such credulity was plain. "This welL looks Just llko any other, only dcopcr; you'd bettor look out thnt you don't break your neck llko tlintfool Ish old woman, that Donna What's-ner-Nnme." O'Reilly did Indeed feel that ho was making himself ridiculous; neverthe less, ho mado tho ropo fast nnd swung himself down out of tho sunlight, leav ing Jacket to stand guard over him. Perhaps fifteen minutes later ho reap peared, panting from his exertions. Ho was wet slimy; his clothes fvero streaked nnd stained with mud. Jacket began to laugh shrilly at his appearance. "Hal What a big lizard is this! Tour beautiful garments nro spoiled. And tho trensuro? Whero Is it?" Tho Ind was delighted. Ho bent double with mirth; ho slapped his baro legs nnd stamped his feet ln glee. O'Reilly grinned good-naturedly, nnd replaced tho planks which had covered tho orifice, then hid tho ropo ln some nearby bushes. On their wny back ho endured his young friend's banter absent-mindedly, but no they nenred Ascnslo's houso ho startled Jacket by saying, "Can you manage to And a pickax on a crowbar?" Jacket's eyes opened; ho stopped in tho mlddlo of tho dusty road. "What did you sco down there, compadro? Tell me." "Nothing much. Just enough to mnko mo want to boo moro. Do you mime you can steal somo sort or a tool for mo?" "I can try." "Pleaso do. nothing bcforo And remember, say Ascnslo or his wife." Rosa met O'Reilly just inside tho door, and nt eight of her ho uttered nn exclamation of surprlso, for during his absenco sho had removed the stain "I'm Going to Havo a Look for the Hidden Treasure." from her faco and discarded that dis figurement which Evangellnn find fit ted to her back prior to their depnrt- uro from the Pan do Mntanzns. Sho stood bcforo him now, straight and slim and graceful tho Rosa of his dreams, only very thin, very fragile, Hor poor tatters only enhanced her prettlness, fso ho thought "Rosa, dear I Do you- think this Is qulto snfo?" ho ventured, doubtfully. Evangellnn, who was bending over her husband, straightened herself nnd cntno forward with a utnllo upon her black faco. "Sho la beautiful, oh? Too beautiful to look nt? What did I tell you?" Rosa wns tn delightful confusion at O'Reilly's evident surprlso nnd ndml ration. "Then I'm not ho nltogcther changed?" sho asked. "Why, you haven't chnnged nt all, except to grow moro bcnutlful. Evan gellnn is right; you nro too bcnutlful to look nt. But wnltl" Ho drew her nsldo nnd whispered, "I've been down In tho well." Some tremor in his voice, somo glint In his eyes, caused the girl to selzo him eagerly, fiercely. "I may bo wrong," he said hurriedly; "thero mny bo nothing In it nnd yet I saw Bomethlng." "What?" "Wooden beams, timbers of some sort, behind tho stone curbing." It wns plain Rosa did not comprehend, so ho hurried on. "At first I noticed nothing unusunl, except that the bot tom of the well Is nenrly dry filled up, you know, with dobrls nnd stuff that has fallen In from the curbing nbovc, then I now that although tho well Is dug through rock, nevertheless it is entirely curbed up with stones Jnld ln mortar. That struck me as queer." "Yes?" "I noticed, too, in one plnco that thero was wood behind ns If timbers hnd been plnced there to cover tho cntranco to a cave. You know this Cuban rock Is full of caverns." Rosa clasped her hands, Bho began to tremble. "You have found it, O'Reilly. You hnvel" she whispered. "No, no, I've found nothing yet. But I've sent Jacket for n pick or n bnr nnd tonight I'm going to pull down thoso stones nnd see what Is behind them." "To night? You must lot mo go, too. I wnnt to help." "Very well. But mennwhlle you mustn't let your hopes rise too high, for thcro Is every chanco that you will bo disappointed. And don't mention it to Evnngellna. Now, then, I'vo a few pennies left nnd I'm going to buy somo candles." Rosa embraced her lover Impulsive ly. "Something tells me it Is truol Something tells mo you nro going to snvo us nil." Evnngellna in tho far corner of tho hut muttered to her husband: 'Such love-birds!, They uro like pnrrakeots, forever kissing and cooing 1" Jnckot roturncd nt dusk, nnd with him ho brought a rusty three-foot iron bar, evidently part of n window grat ing. Tho boy was tired, disgusted, nnd ln a vllo temper. "A plcknx I A crow bar 1" ho cursed eloquently. "Ono might ns well try to steal n cannon out of San Soverlno. Pm ready to do any thing within reason, butr " "Why, this will do nicely; It is Just what I want,'- O'Reilly told him. "numphl Pm glad to hear it for that rod wns nearly tho death of inc. I broko my back wrenching nt It nnd tho villain who owned the house mny a bad lightning split hlml ho ran nfter mo until I nenrly expired. If my new knlfo hnd been shnrp I would havo turned and ecnt him home with It between his ribs. Tomorrow I shall put nn edgo on it Believe me, I ran until my lungs burst" Little food remained ln tho hut barely enough for Ascnslo and the women, nnd Inasmuch ns O'Reilly hud spent his last ccntavo for candles he nnd Jnckot wero forced to go hungry again. Lnto that evening, nfter the wretched prison quarters hnd grown quiet, tho thrco trensuro hunters stole out of their hovel nnd wound up the hill. In splto of their excitement they went slowly, for nono of them had tho strength to hurry. Fortunately thero wero fow prowlers within tho lines, hunger having robbed tho reconcentra dos of tho spirit to venture forth, nnd In consequence Spanish vigilance had rclnxed; It was now confined to the fur-flung glrdlo of intrenchmcnts which encircled tho city. Tho trio encoun tered no one. Leaving Juckct on guard at tho crest of tho hill, O'Reilly stationed Rosa at tho niftuth of the well, then lowered himself once mora Into it Lighting his cundlo, ho mndo a careful examl nation or mp pince, wnn uia rcsun thnt Estcban's theory of tho missing riches seemed oven less lmprobablo than It hnd earlier in tho day. The masonry work, ho discovered, hnd been done with a painstaking thoroughness which spoko of tho abundunce of elnve labor, and tlmo had barely begun to affect It Here nnd thcro n plcco of tho mortar had loosened and como awny, but for tho most part It stood ns solid as the stones between which it wus laid. Shoulder-high to O'Reilly thero appeared to ho a section of tho curbing less smoothly fitted than the rest nnd through nn lntcrstlco ln this ho detected what seemed to bo a damp wooden beam. At this point he brought his Iron bar Into piny. It wns not long bcforo ho discovered thnt his work was cut out for him, Tho cement was llko flint and his blunt makeshift Implement wns almost use less ngalnst It. Ankle-deep In the muddy wnter, ho patiently pecked und pounded nnd chipped, endouvorlng to enlarge tho crovlco so as to uso his bar us n lover. Tho Bwcat streamed from him and ho became dismayed nt his own weakness. Ho was forced to rest frequently. Rosa hung over tho orlflco nbove, en his progress. During his frequent breathing spells be could discern her white fuco dimly Illumined by tho candle light from below. After ho hnd worked for nn hour or two, he made a report: "It begins to look ns If thcro really was a bulkhead or a door ln thero." The girl .clapped her hands nnd I laughed with delight "Do hurry, denr; I'm dying of suspense." O'Reilly groaned: "Thnt fellow, Se bastian, knew his business. This ce- "It Begins to Look as If There Really Was a Bulkhead." nient Is llko steel, and I'm afraid of breaking my crowbnr." Rosa found n lenf, folded a kiss Into It, nnd dropped it to him. "That will glvo you strength," sho declnrcd. O'Reilly lost nil count of time nfter n whllo nnd ho wns incredulous when Jacket enmo to warn him that daylight was less than nn hour nwny. "Why, I haven't stnrtedl" ho protested. Ho discovered, much to his surprise, that ho was rendy to drop from fatigue nnd that his hands wero torn nnd bits tered; when ho hnd climbed tho ropo to tho upper nlr ho-fell exhausted ln tho deep grass. "I I'm not myself nt all," ho apologized; "nothing to ent, you know. But tho work will go faster now, for I'vo mado a beginning." "Do you Btlll think "Rosa hesitnted to voice tho question which trembled on her lips. "I'll know for suro tonight." no directed Jacket to replace tho planks over the well ; then tho three of them stolo awny. O'Reilly spent most of that day in a proiouna stupor of exhaustion, wiiuo itosa wntchcu anxiously over him. Jacket, It seemed, had peacefully slumbered on picket duty, bo he occu pied himself by grinding nway at his knife. Tho lnst scraps of food dls appeared that evening. When night fell nnd it enmo tlmo to return to tho top of La Cumbrc, O'Reilly asked himself if his strength would prove sufficient for tho task ln hand. Ho was spiritless, sore, weak; ho ached ln overy bone nnd muscle, and It required all his determination to propel himself up the hilL Ho won dcrcd if ho wcro wlso thus to Imcriflco his waning energies on a hope so for lorn as tills, but by now he had begun to moro than hnlf believe ln tho exist ence of tho Varonn treasure nnd ho felt nn nlmost lrreslstlblo curiosity to learn whnt secret, If nny, wub concealed be hind thoso water-soaked timbers nt tho bottom of tho well. Ho realized, of course, that every hour ho remulned here, now that food aud money wero gone, lessened tho chances of escape; but, on tho other hand, ho reasoned, with equal force, that If ho had Indeed stumbled upon tho missing hoard sal vatlon for nil of them was assured Tho stake, It eeemed to him, was worth tho hazard. Given tempered tools to work with, It would havo been no great undertak ing to tear down that cemented wall of stones, but armed with nothing except his baro hands nnd thnt soft Iron bnr, O'Reilly spent nearly tho wholo night at his task. Long bcforo tho last rock had yielded, however, ho bo- hold that which caused him to turn a strained fuco upward to Rosa. "Thcro's n llttla door, ns suro as you live," ho told her. Tho girl was beside herself with ex was a fantastic Idea, nevertheless cltcment "Yes? Whnt else? What moro do you see?" "Nothing. It appears to bo rnudo of solid timbers, nnd has two hugU hand wrought locks." "Locks I Thon wo hnvo found it" Rosn closed her eyes; she swayed mo- Indeed 1 That means something ft hide. Oh, If I could only help you 1" "Henvensl If I only had some thinganything, to work with I" mut tered the American ns he fell to with redoubled energy. He no longer tried to conserve his strength, for the trensuro seeker's lust beset him. Ros looked on, wringing her hands and urg lng him to grenter haste. But the low, thick door wns built ol some hard, nntlvo wood: it wns wel nnd tough nnd slippery. O'Reilly'! blows mnde no Impression upon It, noi upon the heavy hasps and staples with which It wns secured ln place. Tht latter were deeply rusted, to be suro. but they withstood his efforts, nnd h wns finally forced to rest, .baffled, en raged, half hysterlcnl from wenknesi and fntlgue. Daylight wns at hnnd once more, ul he refused to glvo up, nnd worked on stubbornly, furiously, until Rosn, ln nn ngony, besought him to desist. Johnnie again collapsed on the grass nnd Iny punting whllo tho other twe replnccd the plnnks. "Another hofrr nnd I'd hnvo been Into It," he declnrcd, huskily. You will skill yourself," Jncket tolc" him. Rosn bent -over him with shining eyes nnd parted Hps. "Yes," said she. "Be patient. We will come back O'Reilly, nnd tonight wo shall be rich.' Colonel Cobo lit n blnck cigarette, leaned back in his chair, and exhunid two fierce Jets of smoko through his nostrils. For n full moment ho scowled forbiddingly nt tho sergeant who hnd asked to see him. "What's this you nro telling me?' he Inquired finally. The sergeant, n mean-faced, low browed mnn( stirred unenslly. It Is God's truth. There nre spirits on Ln Cumbre, and I wish to see th priest nbout it." "Spirits? What kind of spirits?" Tho fellow shrugged. "Evil spirits spirits from hell. Tho men nro buying chnrms." "Bnhl I took you to be n senslbU person." 1 "You don't bellevo me? Well, 1 didn't believe them, when they told me nbout It. But I saw with my owr eyes." Cobo lenned fonvnrd, mildly aston ished. Of all his villainous troop, this mnn wns tho last ono he had credited with imagination of tills sort "Whai did you see?" A ghost, my colonel, nothing else. La Cumbro la no place for nn honesf Christian:" Tho colonel burst into n mocking laugh. "An honest Christian! Youl Of nil my vile ruftlnns, you aro the vilest Why, you're a thief, a liar, and un nssnssln ! You nro. lying to mo now Come the truth for once, before I give you tho compontc." "As God is my Judge, I'm tolling you tho truth," protested tho soldier. "Flos mo if you will rather tho compontt thnn nnothcr night In thoso trenches You know thnt old qulntn?" "Where Pancho Cuoto mndo a goal of himself? Perfectly. Do you menc to say thnt you saw old Estebnn Va ronn wniKinc witn nis nena in nis hands?" "No. but I saw that she-devil whe fell ln tho well nnd broke her neck." "Eh? When did you behold thls- thls marvel?" "Two nights ngo. Sho wns there be side the well nnd her faco shont through the night llko n lantern. There wns Are upon It. Sho camo and went, like a moth in tho lamplight I tell you I repented of my sins. Someol tho men laughed at mo when I told them, ns they had laughed at the oth ers. But lnst night two of the doubt ers went up there." (TO BE CONTINUED.) TO BE Should Read Mrs. Monyhan' Letter Published by Her Permission. Mitchell. Ind. "LydiaE. Pfokham'a Vegetable Compound helped mo so much during tho time A was lookingf orward to the coming of my little ono that I am rocommending it to other oxpoctant mothers. Bo for taking it someday I suffered with neu ralgia bo badly that I thought I could not live, but after taking three bottles I of LydiaE. Pink ham's Vegetable Compound I was en tirely rolieved of neuralgia, 1 had gained in strength and was able to go around and do alt Mv babv when seven months old weighed 19 pounds and I fee better -than I Havo for a long time. 1 never had any medicine do me sc much good. "Mrs. Pearl Monyhan, Mitchell, Ind. Good health during maternity Is a most important factor to both mother and child, and many letters havo been received by the Lydia E. Pinkham Medicine Co., Lynn, Mass., telling of health restoredduring this trying period by the uso of Lydia E. Pinkham's Vego- tanie compound. my housework. , The Proper Spirit "Buy n flower, sir?" The very prosperous looking gentle- mnn stopped and permitted the very pretty girl to fusten n cnrnntlon ln his buttonhole. Then he hunded her quarter. "What Is this for?" he asked. "You havo fed n Belgian baby," wns tho reply. ' Nonsense," suid the other, ndding n $5 bill to his contribution, "you enn't do It. Hero, tuke this, nnd buy a regular meal for the baby." GIRLS! USE LEMONS FOR SUNBURN, TAN Try itl Make this lemon lotion to whiten your tanned or freckled skin. Squeeze tho julco of two lemons In to n bottle containing three ounces of Orchard White, shake well, and you havo a quarter pint of the best freckle, sunburn nnd tan lotion, nnd complex ion whltener, nt very, very small cost Your grocer has tho lemons and nny drug store or toilet counter will supply three ounces of Orchnrd Whlte,for a few cents. Mussago this sweetly fra grant lotion Into the face, neck, nrms nnd hnnds and see how quickly the freckles, sunburn, wlndburn nnd tan dlsnppear and how clear, soft and white tho skin becomes. Yes I It Is harmless. Adv. GUARDED AS SACRED THING Cement From Beet Sugar. A result of experiments ,in Frcnct factories is tho production of nn excel lent cement ns n by-product of bpct- sucar refining. Tho first step in the production of sugar from beets Is boil ing them. It has heretofore been cus tomary to throw awuy ns valueless the scum formed on tho caldrons. But it hns now been discovered that this scum contains lurge quantities of car bonnto of lime. It Is estimated that 4,000 tons of tho carbonates can be recovered from 70,000 tons of beets. To this quantity of tho carbonate 1.10C tons of clay Is added, the resultnnt product being a good cement The best scum Is pumped into largo reser voirs nnd allowed to uvaporato for a certain length of tlmo before being mixed with tho clay. It is then stirred or beaten for an hour before being fed Into rotary ovens such as nre used in making Portland cement Tho Argo naut Trust, Once Accepted, Must Be Held Inviolate In the Bottomless Depths of the Soul. There ' is nothing ndds so much to the strength nnd power of character as unflinching loyalty to a sacred trust. "Not to bo trusted 1" What a blow these words would bo if they wero true, or many or tnose we treasure as Jewels nmong our friends. Unlike the secret of which, whent only a hint of It appears, It Is quickly, scattered abroad to tingle the ears of the curious the sacred trust is silently , nnd safely guarded ln the security of. (he Hps that nre sealed, and the pen' thnt would unfold is lnklcss! It la lodged where the eyes of tho curious can never penetrate, nor tho mischiev ous tongue reveal Its mysteries. Nor Is It to bo found on the hon ored parchment, nnd with thoso who nre highly paid for trust's protection, but Is written ln Invisible words, and tho bottomless depths of tho soul. Safe It Is from tho "splto thrower's dagger" safe In thought, whero no whisper or sound can Btenl Its sacredness; ever conveying, ever adding strength nnd courage to tho trusted. It Is .tho only armor needed to find the worth of "friend." W. Stewart Royston. A Warning. "My wife-to-be Is nn export at keeping house." "Then take my ad vice and don't put it in her name." Shouts of Joy give tho pessimist headache. couruglng him, Inquiring eagerly as to nicntarlly. "Estcbaa was right Locks. Encore. Hotel Proprietor Did you enjy the cornet plnylng in tho next room to yours last night? Guest (savagely) Enjoy it 1 1 should sny not. I spent hnlf tho night pound ing on tho wall to mako tho Idiot stop. Proprietor Why, Jones told mo this morning you npplnuded evory ono of his pieces nnd ho wns going to scud for somo moro music right nway so that ho could ping for jou again. A Cool Breakfast for warm weather No fussing round a hot stove ,ifyoueat Post Toasties ( Made Of Corn) -$fo$- v
