Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-12-26

an event occurred winch turned the current |
Of my life
One morning in September | received |
letter from Tom Saxon, an old chum and |
school fellow, saying he would like to spend |
a few weeks with me in Sussex, if agreeable.
| was delighted for two reasons: because
Tom was a good fellow and because Toms |
pretty sister Clara and l were waiting till
my prospects would entitte me 10 hope for
Favorable reception at the hands of Mr..
Saxon, senior. was in a fever of inpa-
thence to meet Tom went to the station
long before the train was due, and when it
did come in | could have rushed into his
arms. After dinner our time was taken up
with questions and answers on both sides.
by the by, Frank" said Tom, suddenly,
''you mentioned something strange about
your first night here-counectei with your
uncle. Tel me al about it.
lie listened attentiveiy while | related my
dream When | had flushed he arose and
going to the cabinet took one of the books
from the shelf He looked over it carefully.
and then inspected more Of the volumes
! When he had spent some time in this way,
he came back to TIE FIRE with a disappointed
| look.
| Cant make anything ont Of the books
/ sala ne, Summing N4'a KS oacA l" 'hs pitz"
/ and with his hands thrust deep IN his
| pockets, except that toe old boy bad pc
/ cuiiar fancy TO letter the backs Of the
volumes with the alphabet instead of mum
bering them Some of the pages are marked
with red cross, nut the matters on them
don't appear to throw any light On the sub
iect"
After giving vent 70 his feelings in viSor-
Gus pulls at his pipe, Tom fixed his eyes
thoughtfully on the Old desk on the table.
This seems curious desk. Perhaps you
may have overlooked some Gle" TO the mys-
terry contained in it, Would You mind my
looking into itT'
opened the desk, but We could ind moth
ing Of consequence IN L.
You haven't looked In the secret drawer
said Tom. "All desks have one Let me try
my hand" Su'ting the action 10 the word, he
gave the bottom OF the desi such blow that
small compartment "alch had escaped my
notice H0w open. and something tel out with
a ringing sound on the floor Tom uttered
satisfied sound and picked W Il key of curl
Gus and antique wors.aaHsi ip- This will
likely unlock the mystery, since Your uncle
seems To have put 1t away so carefully"
We started on a voyage OF discovery over
the old house. Many OF the cupboards and
boxes Were unlocked. and those which were
fastened couil Ire opened Gy some OF the Keys
Afrer Iorc- brr- we cav. th. thine ,,,, as q
bod i,L I'D or- W. ratfrA5 r, r.St ard
to,.c,ot onr dis,n,,int-nen+ in sIaan
NJ ,,,o,.-,,,s- as-sr braa ,fqet Tom con,-
VOICE, a sl.r,.3 NJ the f,,,r- ~ ti,, ,,,.rsia-
or which he, worked hard nil dipnartIma In
v,aal, went l,v yariai only bya Ii-tla fishing
in the nooI The r,crure was finished and
another begun. One afternoon Tom said be
should like to have another shy at the 1nys-
FERROUS library. Il have been thinking it
over all the week, and think have made
discovery. You will notice on looking
through the books carefully, only one page
in each is marked, and that al the marks
occur in the hrst score or 50 OF leaves IN each
volume. Now, what set me thinking WIS the
within Of your uncle having the alphabet
marked on the back of the books, This one
marked A Is crossed under the number or
page 10; the next book, b, under number D
Z, under number l. u, under uutnbef 10; l.,
under number 8, and +, under number s.
! Now, taking the numbers OF the page to re-
present corresponding letters OF the alphabet,
we get the word SEARCH l haven't got
| any further yet, but we must work 1t out To-
3 | getber."
/ i,,rn,,e5 ~, and ssi,,5 Toms hand ssy-o,
have bit il nov, for cartsf,, nv dear faIlov v
a ,sDon,t he nrarna+nra If r,qyorl,, +r,,, ont
/ rnor.o,s 81 rta- on Lr,,.,..,.,,. no., ,-o.e
m cot at tho root of ti,a r,,--a,.~
Q Worl-i,,,, ,,,,arr, ,-,. ...,f,,.f .l,.,,,-t or
= ,h, ,,,r,,,r7, NJ ,,rt -. r,n 80. rasrl4s
!, N,,,I,ere of raoes ,rarl.od ,v;.t, a rod eros,
n ODD tba' ,.,,-.os,,o9, 1;,,,. I,,to-v.
n 10 10 - - . OF 10 10 Ok
| y
# 90 -
d ~ - =, n ~ - ~
S. l. ~
IS rem sdll Io'l' "Hea We hdu lheue gu
rs tne ABOVE 'thiS certainty looks Ike a ma
/ Let us set about examining TINS same fof'
Is fIoon at once
L. lhere WIS erar'"eF on lhe seeoii'i "o ,
st OIL tne mousse ra'l'E 'ife Wits ;o'tie WIZ
er iea'hei Oh "u'e" great "Olloer VI eiA'
* oia'e uts'ebS we're s,a.ilS'e,' ~ s'iI' n1nC
to us maine we hurried 70 tnis room anu -
to 70 WORK TO Try ana discover 'ue Sect .
I'd Ihere WIS Scarceiy any iurnIture' Viz
there was we carefully examined ont 70
,e purpose
1t. never say ne SAD ION We fhu'
ed no" try the walls. he commenced tappln
Oh ana feehhg IN all me Old corners, went ln'
81 acupooaru uied the "lndo" seats; and,
ut a last resource. turned his attention TO Il
no chimney piece, which was very large an
ce hlghly carved. Inc mantei was high an
nd projected good why over the hearth II
Oh panels on either side were ornaInented wit
grotesqne figures cut IN bold RELIEF. To-
l looked uI the chimney, raped the WOO
IT. work and PRED into each little nook vi
similarly engaged but with no success A
d exclamation from Tom caused me to rush
ce ms SIDE when saw MN pushing at sma
1T grotesque head lnclosed IN wreath OF leav
ey and fo"ers. This seems to give littl
IL FRANK SAD ne; ana, exerhn% MS VINO
a strength, inc projection sank INTO the pane
DO whlch slld a ittie' TO one side and disclosed
d. dark opening.
=, ooop mere a Inomeh0, ION said l, hlGn
eAciVed' WINE geta Eght we must De-
nd Cne eve OF great discovery. Hurryii
es uo"h stalrS' coid Ola T:1@ss 70 llght Ia
rs 'ei aiiu s"a'cniiis up ''iS7! anu Ia'ii'iie
ed nia,Ie NY way oarh us ia'V as couia
as we io'ced Ine Panei lar enough 10 aiio
it 10 =. ei'ei anu 3 opeu 'ui way uioiis aua
nd 9'i'e'''He psi9S"r9, only lee"ly Asn"
hs :! ouo ''ii'0, IL summing "i'ne III ""
I eeenlea nea'i5 one uirecCi"'i, We came 10
no sSeep nIenL .. S'uirS eVi'eu',y uuii' IN
he VI ''ie "uii anu ehI'ns III oiii'
a 80, 80 az ~ we s.oppei- reeiins
-. r. slr' s nease, az
80 bursting the obstacle, fell forward into