| Show BETTYS GREAT FIND X by FLOYD CLAY it was the biggest garret tor for fitly fifty miles around he who had planned anti and built tho the house bail bad not paid special attention to the rooms and halls below but he had provided a garret that all who vilo came after him should bo be P proud roud ot of it was long and wide and contained treasures beyond enumeration in the shape of spinning wheels and bedsteads and bureaus and chairs and what not of the long ago an antiquarian who camo came one day and was allowed to look but not to touch said to the eldest sister there Is nothing like it under the sun it if you will let me dig here for a week I 1 will give you a hundred dol lars not for a thousand was the reply but why because you would make a dust and litter when hetty betty lawrence a cousin at the oge age of ten had visited the misses shaw and become homesick and shed tears the sisters comforted her by P promising rom ising now betty chirk up and be ba a good girl and you shall see gee our garret now at nineteen she was a visitor at the old house again she had a lively remembrance of that quaint boom room and was determined to overhaul it if div rl dpn n half a chance she upon aion the idea so constantly that she came to believe that somewhere in that collection of musty relies relics of the past there lay concealed a document which would bring a treasure to its finder sho she even pictured herself standing before her startled old cousins document in hand this announcement on her lips my dear cousins I 1 have found a great treasure one day while waiting her opportunity to explore the garret a young man known to the sisters called on an errand for his mother and was introduced trod to miss betty as mr ford kiran kirkwood the following day while she was out for a walk he turned up as it if by accident this happened again on the third day and on the fourth he forgot to otter offer an excuse tor for its rather marked recurrence within a week it had bad happened so frequently that saw anything unconventional in the matter this rapidly developing acquaintance did not atilde the vigilant eyes of tha cousins one day tho the elder sister observed frankly 1 I suppose I 1 ought to warn yo you u against love at first sight but as you never loved at first sight or second sight or any other sight eight how can you cousin phoebe at this the gentle old woman smiled feebly ford kirkwood Is a fine young man but he has no na money she went on dutifully nor have 1 I 1 I shall not fall in love dear cousin I 1 shall not elope I 1 shall never marry at least not until until when betty until I 1 find a treasure declared the girl as it she meant it in her soul she believed there was a treasure in that garret she felt like demanding the privilege of exploration but still sho she bided her time her opportunity came suddenly there came a day when the sisters were called away on a matter of 0 business which demanded their personal attention 1 I am so afraid you will be lonely said the elder sister sympathetically we shall be away at least three hours oh no I 1 can take a long walk and then road read awhile after comfit back said betty trying hard bard to keep her voice steady scarcely was the vehicle bearing the sisters out of sight when betty flew flaw to the garret once within the foi forbidden bidden treasure house she stood for a long five minutes feasting her eyes then she selected the oldest and most battered trunk of the entire lot for fer inspection letters and documents why the trunk was full to repletion with them there were deeds mortgages receipts bills of sale private letters grants and wat not and the r only a glimmering of what had once been their legal value three hours had gone baand by and the return of the sisters magn be expect edat any moment m ent when elie ehe selected a par parchment climet almost at random replaced the others in the trunk and left the fascinating spot nobody but an old pirate could have written a hand like that and of 0 course it if lie he was a pirate ho he must have written about a treasure I 1 shall ask mr kirkwood to help to it when he saw it ford kirkwood agreed with betty that it was waa the work of an old pirate but he admitted frankly that he was not an adept at deciphering hieroglyphics it will have to be done said betty determinedly before before why not postpone it until until until after we are married ho be finished heroically but I 1 have promised cousin abut phoebe bebe I 1 shall never marry until I 1 have found a treasure she said with a great attempt to be serious well you found me he suggested brazenly and I 1 have found you the most precious treasure of all he added gallantly Capy copyright right 1915 by the mcclure newspaper |
