The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1870-10-07

= few minutes, in pushing back tn
simple, old-fsshioned lock, whic
sprang out Of Its place with click
Then, for a moment, Oliver hesitat
ed.
As soon as he could command him
self he cautiously, but eagerly, rails
ed the lid.
What did he find
Il corpse--which looked as if i
might have been placed there yester
day, so perfect was it's prcservaticl
-jammed down into this impromptl
coffin, so much too short for it. L
was that of a noble and handsome
man, not many years older than him
self, whose jct-black hair fell dowr
in long ringlets about the velvet col
lar and rutfied shirt-tront. The dress
was that of 1900, or before, whcr
rich gentlemen yet INDUCED in vclvc,
and thread-lacc. In the fofeheao
was deep wound, as Of hatchet,
and there were blood stains over the
garment. Who could the murdered
stranger be
All while he asked himself the
question--while he gazed with lips
apart, and concentrated looks of in
terest and dread-a change crep.
over the inmate Of the chest. The
grayish hue deepcned over the face:
the features sunk fell the yellow
lace luthes, the silken estments fad
ed out of color--out Of sbspe--melt,
ed away. The lineaments dissolved
as if they had been but a dream OF
his fcverish fancy; and as his hand.
which grasped the edge of the box.
shook with nervous surprise, this
slight impulse, aiding the action Of
the atmosphere, completed the ruin.
The corpse and its clothing dropped
to the bottom Of the chest, little
more than a handful of dry dust
Oliver Grey gazed blankly at the
darkness.
A skul!-a hDa!fM Of bones -soms
ashes!
Never in his life had anything oc-
cured which gave him 50 strange and
dreadful sensation as when he saw
that vivid figure moulder into moth
ingness before him. He felt almost
guilty to think he had raised the lid,
and thus destroyed this semblance
Of the man who had been He now
wished that his friend George bad
been with him.to have seen what he
saw, and to corroberatc, by further
testimony, the strange story he should
have to tell. He almost expected
that the tale would be ridicuIed as
one Of his many ardent dreams. Yet
here was the chest They could not
gainsay that. And there were the
bones aud the dim outline Of the 6g-
ure, the skull, with its gastly frac.
turc, telling its mute story Of crime
--anu-
What was that
Something glowed and elinmercd
like coal at the bottom Of the chest. !.
Again the poor artists pulse drum
med in his ears, while every atom Of
blood in his body seemed rushing to
and fro in tue widest confusion.
After a little hesit alton he reach
ed down With his broad -bladed pal
lette knife. amt g;ngerly and dainti-
ly, with thrills Of reluctance running
through his eagerness, tished up the
burning coal, and blew from it the
ashes, the ashes Of the dead.
The coal was large ruby. 1t
was without setting, but had been
cut and polished by jewelcr. 1t
was as red as FIRE, and as lucid as
sunshine. Oliver rubbed it with his
handkerchief. opened his almost
empty, purse and dropped the jewel
within fer safe keeping. Then he
examined the chest farther. There
were more gems glimmerins and quiv-
ering like live things amid that hu-
man dust.
1t was not long until the young
man forgot to be too particular. The
pallettc-knife was no longer swift
and certain enough. With his trem-
bling fingers he pushed about the
poor bones, finding plenty Of treasure
now; and there, right under where
the heart must have been, = small
gold locket. With something of an
awe and reverence overcoming the
greed which had taken possession of
him, he opened the case.
A woman's likeness, young and
sweet, smiled out upon him, as
brightly as if it had not lain in that
dark prison-house for fifty years.
Tears came into divers sharp eyes
as he met the laughing glance Of the
soft blue eyes shining beneath the
ripples Of yellow hair. But those
tears soon dried in the exultation of
his nev possessions.
When certain that the chest had
yielded the last Of it's jewels he empt-
led them into his handkerchief, and
tried to compute their value. The
horror Of his first impressions gave
way to triumph.
The treasure was his own by right
Of discovery. There was no clue to
the name Of their long-perished own
er. He would keep the gems: aud he
would say nothing, even to George,
OF his adventure.
Thinking thus he again looked at
the miniature; and this time observed
name, form ed by setting Of bril-,
liants around the inside of the case,
in German ntrxt--EruxLnA