Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-02-07

when had sprURg 81 desperately out
Of my narrow box 1 had heard some
thing fall with crash beside me. This
was the thing, thcn-this long coffin,
big enough to contain IL man seven feet
high aud broad In proportion. What
gigantic ancestor had ] irrcverentiy dis
lodged? and was 1t from u skeleton
throat that the rare jewel which | held
in my hand had been accidentally
shaken?
My curiosity was excited, and bent
close to examine the lid of this funeral
chest There was no name on it no
mark of any sort, save One.-a. dagger
roughly painted In red. Here was a
mystery! resolved to penetrate 1t.
set up my candle in little crevlce OF
one OF the empty inches, and laid the
pearl and diamond pendant beside II,
thus disembarrassing myself OF all en-.
Icumbrance. The huge Golfer lay on Its
side, as have said; Us uppermost cor
ner was splntercd; applied both hands
to the work of breaking further asunder
these already split portions. As did
so leathern pouch or bag rolled out
and fell at my feet. picked 1t up and
opened tit was full Of gold pieces!
More excited than ever. seized large
pointed stone, and by the aid OF this eX-
ltempOrised instrument, together with
the force Of my own arms, hands and
feet, managed, after some ten minutes
hard labor, to break open the mysterious
casket.
When / had accomplished this deed
stared at the result like man stupeied.
No Wondering horror met my gaze
no blanched or decaying bones; no grin
ming skull Knocked me with its hollow
eye-sockets. Hooked upon treasure
worthy OF an emperor's envy! The big
coffin was literally lined and packed
with incalculable wealth. Fifty large
leathern bags tied with coarse cord lay
uppermost; more than half OF these
were crammed with gold coins, the rest
were full OF priceless gems-necklaces,
tiaras, bracelets, watches, chains and
other articles of feminine adornment
i were mingled with loose precious stones
diamonds, rubies. emeralds and opals,
some of unusual size and lustre, some
uncut and some all ready for the jewell
er's setting. Beneath these bags were
packed number of pieces Of silk, vel
vet, and cloth Of gold, each piece being
wrapped by itself in sort of oilskin,
strongly perfumed with camphor and
other spices. There were also three
lengths Of old lace, fine as gossamer, OF
matchless artistic design, in perfect con-
dition. Among these materials lay two
large trays of solid gold workmanship,
] nvnniaffnlVy 0nd
mented, also four drinking cups of
quaint and massive construction. Other
valuable and curious trifies there were,
such as an ivory statuette Of Psyche on
silver pedestal, waistband OF coins
linked together, painted fan with .
handle set in amber and turquoise,
fine steel dagger in jeweled sheath,
and a mirror framed in old pearls.
Last, but not least, at the very
bottom of the chest, lay rolls upon rolls
of paper money amounting to some mil
lions of francs-in all far surprising
what l had myself formerly enjoyed
from my own revenues. l plunged my
hands deep in the leathern bags; ! fin
gered the rich materials; all this treas
ure was mine! had found 1t in my own
burial vault had surely the
right TO consider 1t as my property?
began to consideration could 1t have
been placed there without my knowl-
edge? The answer to this question &C.
Cured to me at once. Brigands! or
course!-what q fool was not to have
thought OF them before; the dagger
painted on the lid of the chest should
have guided me to the solution OF the
mystery. A red dagger was the recog-
nized sign-manual of bold and danger
Gus hrigand named Carmelo Nerl, who
with his reckless gang haunted the
vicinity Of Palermo.
'So!'' thought. "This Is one OF your
bright ideas, my cut-throat Carmelo!
Cunning rogue! you calculated well,-|
you thought that none would disturb
the dead, much less break open coffin
In search of gold. Admirably planned,
nv Carmelo! But this time you must
play q losing camel A supposed dead
man coming to life again deserves some
thing for his trouble, and / should be
fool not to accept the goods the gods
and the robbers provide. An ill-gOtten
hoard OF wealth, no doubt;-but better
in my hands than in yours, friend Car
melol"
And meditated for some minutes on
this strange affair. If, indeed-and
saw no reason TO doubt I'll had CHANGED
to find some Of the spells Of the redoubt-
able NerI, this great chest must have
been brought over thesea from Palermo. |
Probably four stout rascals had carried |
the supposed coffin in 9 mock solemn
under the pretence Of its con-
tanning the body Of comrade. These
thieves have Q high sense Of hrmor. Yet
the question remained to be solved
How had they gained access TO my an
cestral vault, unless by means Of Q false
kew
All at once was left In darkness Ny
candle went ont IS though blown upon |