Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 September 1911 — A Fortune In Borneo [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A Fortune In Borneo

The Story of an Eccentric wa

By EDNA D. BARTOW

Tbe three heirs at law were grouped about the table in the library. At tfci head of the table, seated In the favorite chair of the late William Lane, was his lawyer, who looked sharply over his spectacles at the girl and the two men and then glanced down at a document in his hand. “Ton all know,” be began gravely, “that your late ancle was a man of eccentric habits. He was fond of travel, especially in the remote quarters of the globe His departures and his homecomings were startlingly unex-

peeted, and when he was at home he occupied this residence with his only niece. Miss Lane”—he bowed toward the black gowned girl and resumed—“as his companion and his devoted and disinterested nephews as constant visitors. “Your uncle’s marked eccentricity of habit may explain in a measure the strange disposition he has made of his property. I will now proceed to read the will.” Stripped of legal forms and phrases and omitting the preamble, the document was as follows: “I hereby give and bequeath all of my property, real and personal, which is represented by various securities, a list of which is attached hereto, Solely and absolutely to the one of the following named persons who discovers the hiding place of these securities These documents are buried in the island of Borneo in a spot situated ten miles in a northeasterly direction from the town Dakar, in the province of Sarawak. I recommend that my nephews, Allen Lane and Burton Lane, and my niece, Cynthia Lane, begin this search immediately after my death, and to the one of the three who discovers this hiding place l give and bequeath all of the property of which 1 may die possessed.” “Here are a few general directions that may assist you in discovering the securities." said Mr. Phillips blandly as he gave to each one a slip of typewritten paper. “Well.” said Allen Lane, moving toward the door and followed closely by his brother, “it is evident that Uncle William intended that we should invest a large sum of money in order to acquire possession of his fortune, but

in my opinion it will be worth the expenditure. I have no doubt that surveyors can locate the spot, and the sooner the venture is made the quicker -we will achieve results." "Is it your intention to go to Borneo at once?" inquired the lawyer. "Yes, as soon as 1 can arrange my affairs. I hope my brother will go with me." “Oh. I shall do that—never fear.” interpolated Burton hastily. “It will be necessary for each one of you to sign this agreement binding yourselves to agree with the terms of the will and expressing your consent to take an equal chance in the hunt for the money and to abide by the consequences. whatever they are.” This was acceded to, and after signing the document the lawyer had prepared the brothers turned to leave the room when Mr. Phillips detained them. “I would suggest, gentlemen, that your cousin. Miss Cynthia, be left in charge of the residence until the estate is settled. The small income that will suffice to support her during your ab sence would take the place of money paid to a caretaker. She Is quite penniless, as yon know, and depended entirely upon the generosity of your unde.” “Very well,” they agreed rather grudgingly. Cynthia Lane turned to the lawyer with a puzzled look on her fair face. “I cannot understand,” she said reflectively, "how Uncle William could expect me to enter the* contest, for he knew {hat I did not have the means "In spite of your poverty. Miss Cyn-

tfila, I firmly believe that yon will bo the ode to discover the Lane millions,” encouraged Mr. Phillips, with an enigmatic smile. Cynthia Lane, prevented by her lack of means from going to Borneo to search for the money, resumed her quiet life in the old mansion, often pondering upon the mysterious utterances of Mr. Phillips, whom she frequently met. “Foond the treasure yet. Miss Cynthia?" he would ask, with a keen glance from under his shaggy brows. “No,” she once replied ruefully. “I am afraid I must possess a fortune to find a fortune.” “Tut, tut, child,” he said somewhat sternly. “Can’t you trust year Uncle William to have given yon an equal chance with your cousins? Use your wits! Use your wits!" “But uncle said he never -had been in Bomea, and so I cannot see” — - “Use yonr wits!” snapped the law- ; yer as he bowed himself away. After that Cynthia did use her wits, but apparently to no definite purpose, and so the long year dragged to Its close. Then one day. eighteen months after the conference In the library, the j lawyer appeared, accompanied by the 1 Lane brothers. Both Allen and Burton were cur- | prisingly changed. They were bronzed ' by exposure to tropical suns and; winds, and the free open air life bad : evidently restored them to a full meas- ; I ure of the health they lacked, for they ! stood before Cynthia with stalwart, ] straight figures and clear eyes, yet j there was a dogged grimness in their expressions that denoted failure in their undertaking. When the greetings were over and they were seated about the library j table Cynthia asked quietly, “What j luck, cousins?” “None.” replied Burton bitterly. “As far as I can learn at this late day Uncle William had never been in Bor- j neo.” “For, my part I cannot understand why he should send us on a wild goose chase. Under the circumstances a i compromise must be made or I shall j contest the will,” protested Allen. “You signed an agreement,” remarked the lawyer calmly. “If the i money is not found by the first of the ; year, when the two r have expired, why. the entijre sum goes to create scholarships in the Conservatory of Music. Cynthia arose and, her face turn- j ing from white to red. said slowly,i “No one has asked what success I have had." “You! What do you mean?” inquired Allen Lane, in manifest alarm. “I mean," said Cynthia, “that I have dug for and discovered the treasure buried under the Island of Borneo.” Mr. Phillips rubbed his hands excitedly, and his kind eyes twinkled merrily. “Now, now, my dear Miss Cyn- ; thia, this is a surprise! Pray, tell us j about it." Cynthia, still standing, rested her slender finger tips on the table and spoke: “After your departure, cousins, I naturally thought much of the mat- ; ter. The result of this was that 1 concluded that my uncle would never ] have included me among the contestants for his money if he bad not intended I should have an equal chance j with yourselves. Wealth 1 had not. Means were not offered to pay my exI>enses to Borneo, so in the seclusion of the library here I followed you. my cousins, around the world to the island of Borneo.” She drew the huge globe of the world toward her as she spoke and whirled it slowly around. “I traced your course from Singa- i pore to Kuehiug and thence to Dakar. ; Then by studying the scale of miles on ; the map and making proper deductions I believed I could put my pencil on the very point in the island where you j were to dig for the treasure. Cynthia paused, quite pale now, while the brothers stared at her with strained eyes. Mr. Phillips wore his perpetual smile.

“Tben," she continued. “I pressed the point of my pencil firmly into the globe on the exact spot, saying to myself in my foolish play as treasure seeker. ‘I will dig here.’ when to my amazement this happened.” As she spoke the words she pressed her pencil point firmly upon the globe.-and the great ball dropped in hinged halves before them. In the aluminium cavities thus exposed were stuffed many documents tightly wedged together. The brothers leaped to their feet. Allen turned passionately to the lawyer. “You knew this all the time!” he shouted. “Give me the papers,” said Mr. Phillips calmly, and when Cynthia had complied with the request he sorted them deftly and threw an envelope across the table to Allen. “Read that aloud.” he commanded brusquely. Allen Lane read in his very harsh accents: “Dear Nephews-—I trust that by this time is ended the long journey combined with hard work, which, my lads, is the greatest treasure in the world. If you had listened to tfie maunderings of your poor old uncle you would have remembered that he has repeatedly told you that the island of Borneo is the only country in the world he had never visited. To the one who had the patience to listen to an old man and who proves it by his recollection of the above facts I have given my fortune. Which one of you three have re* membered tbe dull tales of your tedious old uncle? I'll wager it is my qniet little Cynthia.” The brothers looked sheepishly at each other and then at Cynthia, who was weeping softly. As by one accord their harsh faces softened and they stretched their hands across the table toward her. while the little lawyer smiled beneficently over all. -

“I HAVE DUG TOR AND DISCOVERED THE TREASURE.”