Show the th e story S or Y of 11 in h t t al i azar W rm PARDO D 0 AZAN copyright by short co j 1 the I he angel of death was wae drawing nearer and nearer to don javier do dc Camp campirano urano but he watched its ita ap 1 preach without ferar for or he repented of all his sins and trusted in the morey of him who died to t obtain pardon for all the children of men ma thre was av only one thing that disquieted him during the long sleepless nights that so weary the old and feeble ile he feared that after hla his death dissensions might arlee arise and bitter conflicts and litigations might take place between his ba children and only heirs beirs in regard to the division of his estates don javier was as the possessor of vast domains a man of great wealth but he tas v as not ignorant of the tact fact that the fiercest battles for money had always been waged caged by the rich ile he kemem bared the litigation ho he had had with his elder brother a litigation so intricate so relentless so interminable that began by cooling their brotherly love and finished by changing it into atel pt pst hatred the sin of wishing all linda of eyll evil to his brother of having injured and defamed him and even dreadful memory of having watched for him one night in the shadow of tho the oak grove for the purpose of chal him to mortal combat was the b irden irdon that for many years had bad weighed heavily upon the conscience of don javier so far as his bis intention vas concerned he had been a frati cido cide and lie ho trembled at the thought that perhaps his children whom he loved so ten doily should come to hata bate each other for a handful of gold namuia had bad given don javier an eloquent example and severe lesson his children ch ti a boy and a girl were twins in to ji prevent jealousy arising from supposed paternal favoritism don javier bad ft military career for hla his json bou so that chahi th ahi X the million Is yours youra yours only was nas nearly always separated from him only at last when he knew ihde bat old age and his bis increasing ailments hastening him to the gravo did he send for fori jose marla maria in order that ke fc might alternate alter nata with maria jegela in ministering to his aele after long deliberation the old man had formed a plan and to put it into operation by calling callias his daughter apart ono one day before the arrival of 0 her brother and saying to ter her with ireat great solemnity my daughter before the arrival of your jour brother there are some come very important instructions that I 1 wish to give you Js As soon as aa I 1 close my eyes as eoon ELs as you off offer er up a prayer tor for my soul you will go to the farmhouse at Gua deluz delux end and in the basement there is a large gothic chest very old and ery heavy count to your left from the door 16 bricks belcha notice carefully car Tully 16 do you understand and raise the seventeenth brick that thai has on gri it the sign of the crosa and those immediately surrounding it underneath these bricks you will ond fiad a stone with a large staple jn in it 1 cemented with stron strong In mortar remote the mortar take out th the erstone atone and there will appear a hid ing place and in it a million reals in double doubloons doub loons 16 19 gold pieces and in realtor reals or 25 gold pieces these are nay my savings for many years the million la Is yours yours only I 1 leave it 1 to you as its undisputed possessor and no nov hurbi not a word nora we will never discuss this subject again when I 1 die marla maria josefa smiled sweetly acknowledged her gratitude to him with nordel of love and tenderness jose maria arrived that same night and the brother and sister watched by turns over the beloved father who was waa slowly fading away before their ees ces tho the critical tha ha tha t su jau our am ad not dot nair er hodg in itself and in the midst mid at of ct the tha convulsive conru lelve tu twitching itching of that sorrowful moment maria josera noticed that the dying one pressed her hand in a significant manner and it ft seemed to her that the glazing eyed said bald to here beris remember member Ite the seventeenth brick a million 0 of reals reale the first brat few daye after the funeral were naturally devoted to mour afrig and tears tars to receiving visit vialta of condolence and expressions of sympathy pathy from loving fi lends the brother and bixter liter lit pr overwhelmed overwhelm pd with sorrow and erell ir ellAe dis reddened roil redd donea eneO with luct weeping but few words with each other and neither made any allusion alla clon to the inheritance left them by their father nevertheless it be camit necessary in the courtie courso of time to unseal the will and testament et their father to confer with notaries not aries attorneys and executors and it hay hav one ou night while these things were under discussion that jose maria and maria josefa found themselves hanne aanne la in the vast reception hall the dim light in the spacious apartment just making the darkness as it were visible the sister drew near to tb abo brother touched him on the shoulder and murmured mm inured timidly in a low ace oleo jose I 1 have something to tell you a very strange thing about papa tell me ine darling a strange thing in truth it to Is do you wonder there Is a million reals in gold hidden bidden in the farmhouse at Gau deluz no foolish onel one he exclaimed surprised and with sudden vehemence cher nence you have not understood correctly where this million reals Is hidden la Is in the pasture field at corchada allut jose joo dear papa described the place where albas hidden bidden so BO hatefully caie cate fully to me ine with the most minute details it Is in the basement you mut must count ag bricks to the left from the door and underneath the seventeenth brick biej the stone with the staple in it chrt covers coberg the treasure dut but josefa I 1 am ain certain that you are in error because papa gave me ine such a careful description of tho iho place that I 1 connot possibly bly bo be mistaken it la Is in the pasture field near thu tho ahe old sheepfold that 13 now nov no lio ion ped Is a hind of pool aime tw herd berd aa diina behind it if there li iq a F till ill atch aich ind it tho the foot ot of ahr art ar lilies a e tone v r ith the coiner b vaen man ot or koopen I 1 ocen lal stone ard ati hlll ind a I 1 I 1 lined niche in which 1 at s i 1 fiden ddn n 11 14 71 1 cals C i 1 hoy boy b bit it it 1 aa IP 1 vo vc me when papa round found MI TK haq ai 0 o much ivoree i orso in fact vis ivis hofele IX ill perhaps his bis mind mi s not almog abor right poor dear papa I 1 I 1 lime hae his voids engraved cengr aved maria declared jose seizing the hind and of tho soung boung girl after thinking the matter avei I 1 am convinced there must bo be two de for this to la the only reasonable explanation of the matter papa told me that this money was exclusively for me 11 and to me that the money at Gua deluz was mine alone A few days later the brother and sister made an excursion to Gau gaudesus delus and found everything exactly as maria marla maria josefa had described it the treasure was locked up op in a small email iron coffer the key hey of which could not be found they curried carried the coffer away TV with ath them without attempting to open it and wert on their way to corchada where at the foot of the ruined arch they found also another iron box of equal weight and alze as aa the first they carried the boxes home and jose got cot some tools from a locksmith and forced them open an A the lids burst open disclosing the th golden treasure the brother and slater sister without counting them poured their contents eon tenta together in a heap on the carpet Suddon suddenly lyK maria trembled there la Is a paper la in the bottom of my iny box and one in mine mice too observed the brother it is in a letter from papa yours tour what does doe it say ay usten come coine to the light this Is IB what it says cay my son eon it you read this slone alone I 1 sympathize with you and I 1 forgive you but it if you read it with your alster I 1 will come forth from my grave to bless blesa you the meaning of mine Is e the dainel exclaimed maria a moment later sobbing and laughing at the same time the papers paper were dropped and the brother and sister eleter standing on the heap of gold cold treading the abo scattered coins into the carpet clasped each other in a long embrace |