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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 13, 1921)
NORTH PLATTE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE. PANISH ! Doubloons THE CAVE. Synopsis Jane Harding, respect able and conservative old maid but never too old to think of mar rlace with moro tnonoy than brains, la Inveigled by a strong minded spinster, Mlfcs Ulgglcsby Browne. Into llnancinK an expedi tion to hunt (or burled treasure on Leeward Island. Her niece, Vir ginia Harding, undertaking to stop her. gets on the vessel and Is un willingly carried along. I3y no means concealing her distaste for tho expedition und her contempt for Its members, Virginia makes the acquaintance of the Ilonorablo Cuthbort Vane. Talking with Dugald Shaw. leader of the expedi tion, Virginia very frankly ex presses her views, practically ac cusing Bliaw and the other mem bers of the party. Including a somewhat uncertain personage Captain Magnus, and a shady "financier," Hamilton II, Tubbs, of being In a conspiracy to defraud Jane Harding. Landing on the Island Is a matter of some difficul ty, Virginia being carried ashore In the arms of Cuthbort Vano. The party gets settled. Miss Ilrowne tells about the treasure. Virginia declares herself out of It (CHAPTER V Continued.) Mr. Tubbs then produced n legal looking document which I took to be the original ngrectnent of tho members of tho expedition. Beneath their sig natures he hnd inscribed a sort of codicil, by which I relinquished all claim on any treasuro recovered by tho party. I signed tho clause In a bold and defiant hand, under tho at tentive eyes of tho company. A sort of sigh went round, as though some thing of vast moment had been con cluded. And Indeed it had, for now tho way was clear for Violet's map. Covertly I watched tho faces around mo. Mr. Tubbs' eyes had grown bright; ho licked his dry lips. His nose, tlp-tlltcd and slightly bulbous, took on a moro than usually roseate hue. Captain Magnus, who was of n restless and Jerky habit at tho best of times, was like a leashed animal scenting blood. Beneath his open ehlrt you saw tho quick riso and fall of his hairy chest. Ills Hps, drawn back wolfl$hly, displayed yellow, fang like teoth. Under tho raw crudo greed of tho man you seemed to glimpse Homething indescribably vulplno and ferocious. Tho faco of Dugald Shaw was con trolled, but there was a slight rigidity In its quiet. A pulso beat rapidly In his check. All worldly good, all hope of place, power, Independence, hung for him on the contents of tho snuill flat package, wrapped In oll-sllk, which Miss Browne wns at this moment with drawing from lior pocket. Only Cuthbort Vane, seated next to ttfo, maintained without effort his se renity. For' him tho wholo affair bo longed In tho category known as sport ing, where a gentleman played his Btako and accepted with equanimity the Issue. The dead sailor's legacy consisted of a slnglo eheet of tlmo-stalncd pa per. Two-thirds of tho sheet was cov ered by a roughly-drawn sketch in faded ink, giving tho outline of tho Island shores as wo had scon them from the Ilufus Smith. Iloro was tho cove, with tho name it bears In tho Ad miralty charts Lantern bay written In, and a dotted lino Indicating tho channel. To all appcaranco tho map wns merely to give Ilopperdown his direc tions for entering tho covo. There wub absolutely no mark upon It to enow where tho treasure had been buried. Now for tho writing on tho sheet below the man. It was In nnother hand than that which had written Lantern buy across tho faco of tho cove, and which, though labored, was proviso and clear. This other was an uneven, wavering scrnwj : . "He scd it Is In a Cave with 2 mouths near by tho gravo of BUI Hal llwoll wlch was cut down for ho now to much. Ho sed you can bring n boat to tho cave at the half Tide but bo- waro the turn for tho pull Is strong. He scd to find tho Grave again look for the Btono at tho head marked B. H. and a Cross Bones. In tho Chlst Is gold Dubloons, a vast lot, also a ellver Cross wlch ho sed levo for tho Oravo for ho sed BUI walks and Mints unlucky." That was all. A fairly clear dlrec Itlon for any friend who had attended the obsequies of Bill and knew where to look for tho stone marked B. II. and a cross-bones, but to perfect Atrangers It was vague. A blank look crept into the Intent faces about tho table. "It It don't happen to say In more doetall Jest precisely whero that cavo might be looked for?" Inquired Mr. Tubbs hopefully, "In moro detail?" repeated Mius Browne, challenglngly. "Pray, Mr. Tubbs, what further detail could be required?" "A good deal more, I am afraid," remarked tho Scotchman grimly, Miss Browne whirled upon him. In her cold eye a spark had kindled And suddenly I bad a now vision of her. I saw her no longer as tho de- luflar of Aunt Jano, but as herself tho deluded. Her belief In tho treusuro was an obsession. This map was her existence which had been drab and dull enough, I dnro say. "Mr. Shaw" Miss Browne gave the effect of drawing herself up In lino of battle "I feel that I must give ex pression to the thought which comes to me at this moment. It Is this that If the members of this party are to bo chilled by carping doubts, the wave of enthusiasm which has floated us thus far must Inevitably recede, leaving us flotsam on a barren shore. What can one wenk woman pardon, ray unfaltering Jane I two women achieve against the thought qf fail ure firmly held by him to whom we leoked to lead us boldly In our for ward dash? Mr. Shaw, this is no time for crawling earthworm tactics. It is with the bold und sweeping glance of tho eagle that we must survey tills Island, until, the proper point dis cerned, wo swoop with majestic flight upon our predestined goal I" Miss Browne was somewhat exhaust ed by this effort, and paused for breath, whereupon Mr. Tubbs, anx ious to retrieve his recent blunder, seized with dexterity tho opportunity. "I get you, Miss Browne, I got you," said Mr. Tubbs with conviction. "Vic tory ain't within tho grasp of uny in dividual that carries a heart like n cold pancake in his bosom. I may be rather a man of thought than action, ma'am, and at present far from my nntlve heath, which Is tho financial centers of the country, but If I remem ber right, It was Ulysses done tho dome-work for tho Greeks, while cer tain persons that was depended on sulked in their tents. Miss Higgles- by-Browne, you can count count, I say on old II. II. !'" "I thank you, Mr. Tubbs, I thank you.!" replied Miss Browne with emo tion. As for Aunt Jane, she gazed upon tho noble countenance of Mr. Tubbs with such ecstatic admiration that her little nose quivered like a guinea-pig's. CHAPTER VI. Tho Cavo With Two Moutho. Obscure as wero tho directions which Hoppordown's niece hnd taken from his dying lips, one point at least was clear tho treasuro-cavo opened on tho sea. This seemed an lmmonso simplification of tho problem, until you discovered that tho great wall of cIIITb was honeycombed with Assures. Ono of tho boats which had con veyed us from tho Itufus Smith had been loft with us, and in it Mr. Shaw, with tho Ilonorablo Cuthbort and Captain Magnus, mado a preliminary voyago of discovery. Tills yielded tho Information abovo set down, plus, however, the thrilling and significant, fact that n cavo seemingly predestined to bo tho hiding place of treasuro, and moreovor a cavo with tho specified two openings, ran undor tho point which protected tho anchorage on tho south, connecting tho covo with tho sea. Only tho Scotchman remained exnsporatlngly calm and declined to admit that tho treasure wus as good as found. I "I'll wait till I sco tho color of my money before I reckon tho Interest on it," ho remarkod. "It's true tho cavo Made a Preliminary Voyage of Dis covery. would bo a likely and convenient place for hiding tho chest; tho question Is: wouldn't it bo too likely and con vcnlent? Sampson, would mnybo not chooso tho spot of all others whero tho first comer who had got word of tho story would be certain to look." "Well, friends," remarked Mr, Tubbs, "there's them that sees noth In' but tho hole In tho doughnut, and there's them that sco the doughnut that's nround the. hole. I ain't ashamed to say that old II. II. Is In the doughnut, class. Why, tho Old Man himself used to remark I guess It ain't news to soma hero about me boln' on the luslde with most of tho Icadln' financial lights of the country Camilla Kenyon COPYRIGHT THE nouns-MERRILL fc COM TAN V J him to bull the market on u Black Friday.' Ladles, I ain't ono that's In clined to boast, but t Jest want to warn you not to be too astonished when II. II. makes acquaintance with Bill Ilalllwcll's tombstone, which I'm wlllln' to Iny ho does yet" "Well, good luck to you," said tho grim Scot, "nnd let me likewise warn all hands not to be too astonished if wo find that the treasure is not in the care. But I'll ndmlt It is ns good a place as any for beginning tho search." The cave which was now tho center of our hopes I say our, because some how or other I found myself hoping and fearing along with the rest, though carefully concealing it ran under the point nt its farther end. The distance was about sixty feet from mouth to mouth, and back of this transverse passage a great vaulted chamber stretched far under the land. The walls of the chamber rose sheer to a height of fifteen feet or more, when a broad ledge broko their smoothness. At high water the sea flooded the cavern to its farthest extremity and beat upon tho walls. Now and again, It was to prove, even the water-worn pavement between tho two nrchways was left bare, and one couttl walk dry-shod along tho rocks under the high land of the point from tho beach to tho cave. But this was at the very bottom of the ebb. Most ly tho lower end of tho cavo was flooded, nnd the explorers went back and forth In tho boat. A certain drawback to boating In our Island waters was tho presence of hungry hordes of sharks. You might forget them for a moment and sit happily trailing your fingers over board, and then a huge moving shadow would darken the water, nnd you saw tho rlpplo cut by a darting fin and tho flash of a livid belly as the mon ster rolled over, ready for his mouth ful. What with tho genius of Cookie and tho frultfulncss of our Island, not to speak of supplies from the Army and Navy stores, we lived like sybarites. There wero fish from stream und sea, coconuts and banunas and oranges from tho trees in tho clearing. I hnd hopes of yams and breadfruit also, but If they grew on Leownrd none of us had a spcnklng acquaintance with them. Cookie did wonders with the pigs that wero shot and brought In to him, though I never could sit down with appetite to a massacred Infant served up on n platter, which Is Just what little pigs look like. "Jes yo' cas' yo' eyo on dls yoro In- nnhcent," Cookie would request, ns he plnccd tho suckling before Mr. Tubbs. 'Tondah as n now'bo'n babe, he um. Jes' Ink he been tucked up to sleep by his mammy. Sho now, how yo' got do heart to stick do knife in him, Mis tah Tubbs?" It was significant that Mr, Tubbs, after occupying for a day or two nn undistinguished middle place at the board, had somehow slid Into tho carver's post at the head of the table. Flanking him wero the two ladles. Everybody else had a sense of sit ting In outor darkness, particularly I, whom fato had placed oppdslte Cap tain Magnus. Since landing on tho Island, Captain Magnus hnd for sworn tho effeminacy of forks. Load ed to the hilt, his knife would ap proach his cavernous mouth and dis appear in it. Yet when It emerged Captain Magnus wns alive. Whero did It go? This was a question that agitated mo dally. The history of Captain Magnus was obscure. It wns certain that ho had his captain's papers, though how ho hnd mastered tho science of navigation sufllclently to obtain them was a prob lem. Though ho held a British navi gator's license, ho did not appear to bo an Englishman. Tho captain, us Mr. Vano had re marked, was Miss Browne's own find. Before tho objections of Mr. Shaw- evidently a Negative Influence from the beginning hnd caused her to abandon the scheme, Miss Browne had planned to charter a vessol in Now York and sail around tho Horn to the island. Whllo nursing this proj ect she had formed an extensive ac quaintance with persons frequenting tho Now York water-front, among whom was Captain Magnus. As I heard her remark, he was the one nautical character whom sho found sympathetic, by which I Judgo that tho others wero skeptical and rude. Being sympathetic, Captain Magnus found it an easy matter to attach him self to tho expedition or perhaps It wub Violet who annexed him, I don't know which. Tho strange 'beait of tho jungle was a white bull-eterrJer. (TO BE CONTINUED.) Coming of Ago. Wo mourn over tho coming of ago, but how innny of us would really chooso to remain young and so lose tho treasures that the years bring; the varied friendships, tho adventures. tho garnered wisdom? Perpetual youth would leave us behind our own generation, would rob us of life's pur- r XSne Old Folfe Chnshms Chmio O0hu6KTtW r VUTUN HE Old Folks de cided that It was time for them to bo young again. So, they set up a Christmas tree In a corner of the big dining room. Santa Clnus camo bustling In und be gan to make things pleasant. Tied to his belt there was an nlarm clock. Its bell was ringing like everything. Tills wus to wake tho Old Folks up. First, he called the roll, to seo If thoy wero all up and awake. Then, ho begnn to pick the presents off tho tree. Soon tho room was gay with dolls, horns and Jumping Jacks. A doll was riding in her carriage, squeaking nnd rising up every few feet as she rode along. There was a talking doll, too. She sang and talked when they pushed the buttons on her dress. There were hot dolls for cold nights nnd cups and balls for tho Old Folks to play with when they could not sleep. The Old Folks all played with their presents. They blew on their horns, nnd amused themselves with tho jump- lng-Jncks, and sent tho moving toys running about the room all at once. But, nfter all, tho Old Folks thought It wasn't so very much fun becnuso there wero no real children there. So they sent out to see if they could find some. They found Lucy, Peter, Billy, Mary, Sally, Hilda, Ituth, and some other children, who all camo to sco the Old Folks' Christmas tree. Lucy told the Old Folks tho story about her dog Trump. Trump was a tramp dog, but ho could do some tricks. He loved to bo dressed up In a blanket, with n belt. Then, with a herlbboncd straw hat on his head, he would walk across the room upon his hind legs. After Lucy came Peter. Peter said that he did not know nny stories, but once he carried the flag for 'the big hoys' baseball team, and they let him go In to seo tho base ball game, free. Then Billy told a story. Ho said that once he sat up all night, waiting for Santa Clnus to come nnd All his stocking. That is, he tried to sit up all night; hut Santa Claus didn't como nnd so he fell nsleep in tho dark. The next day the doctor came to see him. Tho doctor told him ho hnd hnd "stocklngltis." Billy said, too, that when he woke up In tho enrly morning nnd found thnt Santa Clnus had forgotten to fill his stocking, ho wns going to throw himself on the floor nnd pound his heels on It and holler. But then he hnppened to remember how ucly his First, He Called the Roll. brother Hnrry looked when ho did that. So Billy thought ho wouldn't; and he didn't. Mury told nbout tho songs she sang to her doll. She said that the song thnt her doll liked the lest was : The little dog went to the market town, wiui ono 1001 up, ana one root flown; But when ho came to a muddy placo He Jumped clo-e-e-an ovorl Mary said that sho always Jumped her doll nt the "Jump" part. Sally thought that it was a long time since she hnd known a story, "most as long ns tho night before Christmas," but she did remember n ride she once hnd on a little donkey. She snld they had to send the old donkey on ahead to mnke the little donkey hurry. Then sho remembered nbout the cats nt her grandma's house. There was a big cat for the big mice, md n llttlo cat for tho little mice. Hilda told n story about a little blind boy she onco saw. NCVtfkttt UNION When she said her evening prayer that night, hvr mother snld to her: "What nre you going to say, in your prayer tonight, ubout that poor little blind boy you saw to-day?" So Hilda asked God about him. The very next day she took the lit tle blind boy a big orange. It was now Iluth's turn. "Once I asked a little girl if that wns her sister," said Ituth. "Tho lit tle girl said : ' 't ain't a sister, It's a baby.' " One of the other boys now had a story to tell. "Once I saw n cyclono come around the corner of n Btreet," ho said. "A man had a tent there with n lot of lolls In It Tho man wanted to sell the dolls, but tho cyclono took tho tent right up into tho sky,, with nil tho dolls in it. "Another man nsked him : 'What nro you making such a fuss auoutT Weren't your dolls for sail?' and ovcrybody laughed except tho doll man." Tho Old Folks wero having such a good time listening to the stories thnt they thought tho children ought to liavo a good time, too. So they took nil their presents that had come off tho tree nnd gave them to tho little folks who hnd come In. Every boy nnd every girl had a toy nnd n box of candy Lucy, Peter, Billy, Mary, Sally, Hilda, and tho others. Then, all tho young Old Folks nnd all the children marched around tho dining room singing. They sang "Merry, Merry Clirlst mas," and so tho fun ended. But I guess It didn't quite end then, elthrtr. For, ns tho young Young Every Boy and Every Girl Had a Toy. Folks went out of the door and down the street, the young Old Folks could hear them laughing, long after thoy turned the corner. Besides, the yftung Old Folks have been talking nbout their "Old Folks' Christmas" over since. FESTIVITIES OF OLD TIMES Lord of Misrule Was Important Func tionary at Yuletlde Celebrations of the Long Ago. WpIIK Lord of Misrule wns nn impor tnnt functlonnry nt the Christmas festivities of those long-ugo times. An account of this Important personage has been preserved by tho historiun nnd nntiquary, John Stow, who lived during the reign of Queen Elizabeth and during the first year 'of the reign of King Charles I, and was, therefore, a contemporary of Shake speare. "In tho fenst of Christmas," writes Stow, "there wns In the king's house, wherever he lodged, a Lord of Misrule or Mnster of Merry Deports, and tho llkd had ye In the house of every no bleman of honor or good worship, were he spiritual or temporal. Tho mayor of Loudon, and either of tho sheriffs, hud their several Lords of Misrule." At Cambridge university tho Lord of Misrule was a master of art, elected to superintend the representation of Latin plays by the students, besides taking charge of their games and di versions during the Christmas season. A similar Master of Revels was chosen ut Oxford. In tho Inns of Courts In London, where the barristers had their olllces nnd belongings, a Lord of Mlsrulo reigned with great splendor, "being surrounded with ull the .purude and ceremony of royalty, his guurd of hon or, and even his two chapllns who "preached before him In the Templo church." On the Twelfth day he abdicated his sovereignty, und we are informed that in the yenr 1G35, this mock-representative of royulty expended In tho exer cise of his ofllce ubout two thousand pounds from his own purse, nnd ut the conclusion of his reign wn knighted by King Charles I at White hall. Saving the Leftovers, Instead of always frying up nny left over potatoes, why not use them for hot ten scones? They only take a few minutes to make. To half a pound of cold potatoes add Vvo ounces of flour und a teaspoonful each of salt and baking powder. Knead them all together, then add Just enough milk sour milk if you like to muke a stiff dough. Boll out nnd cut Into either squares or rouads with a pastry cutter or tumbler und bake on a tin in a quick oven. To Sweeten Musty Teapot, To sweeten a metal or enamel tea pot which has become musty, fill it with boiling water and drop In a red hot cinder, close the lid and leave for a short time. Then rinse out with clenn wntcr. "GHOST PICTURE" CAUSES TRAGEDY Woman Is Driven to Divorce and Death by Freak of Doctdrcd Photograph. SAW WORK OF SPIRITS Ardent Believer In .Spiritualism takes Her Own Life After Llkenesslof Husband's First Wife Reap! pears In, Photograph. Topekn, Knn. How n "ghost pic ture" ywns the cause of u domhtlc separation and subsequent suicldcun example of the disturbing effect often produced by a freuk practice frequent ly engaged In by professlonul phots ruphers, is reluted in an article In the Toneka Dally Capital. F. G. - lnrd, u photographer, tells the folio Ing: Enrly in his experience us a photo rnpher, said Mr. Wlllard, he was won lng In u big establishment In the En which mnde u specialty of retouchlil nnd reprinting old photographs chromos. One day a mlddle-nged Irish womnl came to the shop. She had been married recently, shl said, to an Irish wurd politician whosd first wife had been dend for sonn years. The present wife was excltubiq and,"hlgh strung." All efforts to get! a good picture of her husband hail met with ill fortune, she complnlned.l What she wanted wns a copy of anl earlier photograph of her husband. Arm Around Bride's Neck. There was one drnwbnck. The enrly photograph was taken shortly after her husband hnd been married the first time. Ills arm was ubout his bride's neck. She explained that she wanted the bride removed, her husband's hund brought back In front of him, with no suggestion of enfolding another woman In Its embrace. The photographer set to work nnd In a few days sent the woman n very good print of her husband without the first bride nnd with n now urm cleverly pnlnted Into the picture. In nbout six months he read with astonishment that the woman had left her husband, who Inter secured u dl- "Look!" She Cried, "She's Corning Backl She's Coming Back!" vorce. Then, on the heels of the sepa ration nnd divorce, he read of the sui cide of the womnn. Ho did not know for several weeks what wns the cause of the suicide. Then ho saw the Irishman nnd nsked him nbout It. "It wns nil caused by thnt picture you mnde for her," the polltlclun ex plained. "Right after tho picture was made my wife became Interested In spiritualism. Believed She Was Coming Back. "Then one day she came screaming into the living room and dragged me Into the parlor. "'Look!' she cried, 'she's coming bnck I She's coming back !' "I looked and there on the picture which reposed on the parlor easel was tho faint outline of another form sit ting beside me. "Every day she watched the picture. It wns uncanny. As each day passed the outline of my llrstwife became more distinguishable. I sprouted an other arm In the picture, which seemed to reach out toward my first wife. "My wife declared It was a visita tion of the spirit of my first wife re turning from another world to point out the sin of remarriage. "Then she left me. After that it was u succession of weird spiritualistic seances with her until she became un balanced on the subject. Time passed und I obtained a divorce. "Then one night I learned thut she hnd been attending a seance, during which she believed my first wife ap peared und condemned hor for marry ing me. As an upshot of this seance shu killed herself. That's the story except ilmi I burned tho picture." .tullsmnn. her war of cscuoe from he used to remark. Tubbs has It In doso and meaning.