The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-01-27

I could not not help joining in her mer.
riment, though did not feel a bit iolly.
'sThe bombazine humbugr' ex-
claimed. "What does he take me for?''
"a lover of antiquity" said Miss NAL
lctte. THAT is evident enough"
Worse than that" replied. '.Let
us read on.
1t was impossible, Monsieur Simon
continued to allow any one person, and
especially person like myself. who had
had no active part in the enterprise, to
enjoy all the advantages of such . dis
covery. He had taken steps, therefore,
to secure to himself something more
than the mere glory of the affair. The
movable things, such as the coin, the
medals and the jar, the manuscripts, and
the ring from the finger Of the skeleton,
he had taken from the dungeon, and
they were now in his possession. He
had replaced the stones in the hole he
had made and had piled sand against
them. He had also thrown sand into the
hole of the wall in the dark
chamber, SO as to give it as much as pos
sible its appearance when l discovered
it. In the sand, he took occasion to
mention, he had placed two dynamite
cartridges, with which he had provided
himself in case the inner wall should
prove too hard for his chisels.
The outrageous impostor, ;" exclaimed
Miss Mallette,
''You don't believe he buried any dy-
Mantle in the sand?" l said.
'.Not a bit of it," she answered
promptly.
Monsieur Simon then proceeded to
say that he had gone with his valuables
to. Tallahassee, from which place he
should Immediately proceed to q spot
he knew of where he could remain en-
tirely unobserved for any length of time,
and where he would have ample oppor-
tunity to classify and describe the coins,
and to decipher the manuscripts.
'.Decipher the manuscriptsn' I ex-
claimed, in contempt. "Any one who
knows old Spanish could read them"
''Old Spanish?' laughed Miss NAL
lette. Il believe you really think there
are such manuscripts"
81 forgot" 1 said. Il was only
thinking what humbug he isl
His story has had an effect upon your
imagination, she said; ''but let us 90
on.H
The rest was purely practical. Mon
sieur. Simon said that if l would send
800 to his address in Tallahassee a
friend would receive it for him and take
it to him in his secure retreat. He then
would send me thirty of the coins and
two of the manuscripts, in order that I
might assure myself of the truth of his
statements. After this we could make
further arrangements with regard to our
mutual advantage.
"The clearest case of attempted
swindling," said.
Il don't believe he dug into the hole
at ALL" said Miss Mallette. Il sup
pose he found some comfortable place
and slept all night
Il shall go and see if he really made
any excavations" l said.
don't you do itr' Miss Mallette ex-
claimed, putting her hand on my arm.
you'll get yourself blown up with
that dynamite.
had been for some time sitting on a
bench in the courtyard of the fort on
the next day after the receipt of Monsieur
Simon's letter, when Miss Mallette
walked into the yard.
Il thought 1 should find you here"
she said. ''You haven't been poking
around in that hole in the wall, have
YOUR
mo; I promised you 1 would not do
that
Il know you promised, but was
afraid the attraction would be too strong.
l am glad you are SO good. Don't you
want to 90 out on the water-battery? l
haven't had any real sea-breeze to-day"
Ihesitated moment. IF you don't
mind,' said, Il prefer going up on the
barbette. 1 have made discovery, and
I want to tell you about it,
''Another discovery she said with a
laugh. "You are one of the greatest
of the age. Is it another
in armor?''
I said nothing to this, and we walked
up the stone incline that led to the up
per portions of the fort. Miss Mallette
matter that she had done before. She
stopped when we reached the wide stone
surface of the barbette.
eff you really have made any discov-
cries." she said, "you ought to tell the
people at the barracks. They would be
able to investigate the matter properly"
81 don't want anybody to investigate.
my discoveries but myself" said.
''Then why do you tell me?'' she
asked.
20, you are different. 1 hoped you
would take some interest in the matter"
"Well," she said, with little air of
submissive endurance, and seating her
self on the broken edge of one Of the |
1 stood before her, and began: 81
have made a discovery which to me is
very important.
The countenance of Miss Mallette
looked little disturbed, and then she
said: II don't think you ought to tell |
me your important discoveries. You
know I can't help you the least bit. Do
you know it is nearly lunch time?' she |
added, taking out her watch.
'You can help me-" I said, firmly, |
r III