The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-07-31

ing ready, ne exerted all his strength
and heaved the sinister freight over
board. 1t sank at once, and the black
slime closed over it. Keppel looked
down on the place where it had disap-
peared.
"Rest in pesoeI" he muttered. He pad
died himself ashore, and returned to the
house with a feeling of relief.
1t remained to burn the clothing and
bedding. He first placed quantity of
dry wood on the hearth, then heaped the
clothing upon it and set FIRE to the pile.
Next he removed the bedding from the
bedstead. The latter was nothing but q
rough framework of planks, apparently
taken from the barn and nailed together
In carelees fashion.
In taking off the mattress he saw In
the cavity beneath 1t = small oblong
chest. It looked shabby and battered.
and was seczred by q double tsap, With
loop attached to Hasten II ON the. Shout
ders. It must DO, Keppcl supposed, the
box in which dc dead man had kept
his wardrobe 1t mast 60 on the FIRE
Wtta the rest.
He laid hold Of The strap, to lift the
box snk i was unexpectedly heavy.
He took bo$h hands TO Il and ierked it
up; 10 oane down on the door with q
bang tAat Jared the ho1se. "What caA
M& ~ SAID Keppel, pausing to tahe
breath Then b. thought came to him
that turned Elm paIs aad trenbkng.
What il Shis shOuld b the chest tkaG
contaiRed Che treBsufi He had taken
1t 90 for granted that the box was bsxSed
outdoors that this possibility bad not
at first occurred 10 him. But now that
It had occurred to him, 1t sseaned quite
natural A dying man could not pat
his treasure In q safer Ihace than BE-
neaeh his bed. AS hong "a he aemained
alive he would know that Il was safe.
Now that tho critical moment had Ar
rived Keppel felt an almost invincible
reluctance 10 take the next stsp. The
fear Of disappointment, which had hith-
erto seemed insignificant, now dominet-
ed everything else, and Keppel doubted
whether he could endure to find it con-
firmed. On the other hand, the idea Of
success was 80 stupendOus that he feared
that TOO.
But after all, uncertainty was worst
Of all.
With nervous hands he unbuckled the
strap. The key was in the lock and he
turned it. As he lifted the lid he closed
his eyes.
When he opened them he saw some
old flannel shirts, carelessly stuffed into
the box. He threw them out with
feverish impotence. What did he seer
A quantity of wax food arranged in
rows and layers. There were wax
peaches, plums, apples, pears. He thrust
his hand into them, cropping underneath.
There was nothing else but wax fruit in
the box.
With cry of rage he grasped hand
full of the fruit and dashed it furiously
on the floor. 1t broke in flashes and
CLEANS Of rainbow light. Half dozen
immense diamonds, rubies and sapphires
lay sparkling on the bare boards. There
Were scores of thousands of dollars
worth of precious stones in that one
handful.
Keppel, with shrill ejaculation,
dropped on his knees on the floor and
picked up one of the gems. 1t was a
huge sapphire, and was still partly en-
bedded in the wax that had covered and
concealed it. He took up another; it
was a diamond. He reached over to the
box and pulled out an apricot. On
breaking it open there was revealed an
emerald as large as an acorn. He picked
up a plum from the bottom of the box.
Within it was another diamond of the
finest water.
He passed his hand over his forehead.
~ am the richest man in the world, he
said in whisper; 1.-THE richest man in
the worldr'
He rose to his feet and walked about
the room. He went outdoors and wan
dered about, staring at the sky, the
earth, the sea. The sun shone. The
air was soft and warm. He spoke his
own name aloud; he repeated parts OF
the multiplication table; he recited
verses of poetry. 1t was no delusion; he
was in his right mind; he was awake.
He re-entered the house, and there was
the box, the wax fruit and the jewels.
just as before. He examined them once
more. They were real, there was no
mistake. From a helpless vagabo1d and
outcast, an escaped convict, a man sup
posed to be dead, he had in a moment
become hundredfold millionaire. He
broke into frantic laugh he stamped
about the room, tossing up his arms and
shouting. He flung himself down with
his head on the box and burst into sobs
and tears. When at length he arose
he was calm and pale.
Olympia, Olympia" he said. THE
world cannot part us! All this is yoursr'
PART THREE-LIFE,