Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-06-12


treasure to some one in New York. Who
was that person? Tie cipher letter had
been found in the pocket of Harry Trent.
There was therefore no escape from the /
conclusion that Harry Trent must have
been the consignee of the treasure. /
Harry Trent, again, was dealer in /
precious stones, and was known to be
personally acquainted with tho French |
emperor. The pieces of the puzzle fitted .
into one another like u mosaic. And by
a strange fatality keppel DaTko, who
had been wrongfully accused of murder
ing Trent, had, through that accusation,
been brought in contact with fortune
not inferior to any in the world.
But where was the treasurer Was it
in the neighhorhood?
Keppel looked about him. A garden
two or three acres i'll extent, long since
gone to seed, adjoined the house. Out
side the garden was waste of stunted
woodland, extending to the swamp on
one side and toward the ocean on the
other To the westward lay a sort Of
pasture, with few struggling apple
trees growing upon it. The place was
deserted farm, such as is often met with
on Long Island and may not have been
inhabited for many years The treasure
WA probably buried somewhere about
the grounds--it might be far or near.
Wherever it was, it was worth searching
for, and Keppel resolved to examine
every square foot of ground within
mile, if necessary, before giving it up.
This might take time-weeks or even
months. Meanwhile, he would have to
live in the house; and the first thing to
be done was to get the dead man and all
his belongings out of it.
But now the question required, how
should he make a grave? Though this
was u farm, there We're no farming i'm
plements on it. The soil was sandy, to
be sure, but it would take days to make
a hole deep enough, with only sticks and
stones to dig with; and the body would
have become intolerable long before
that. AS Keppel thought this, his eyes
fell upon the swamp, and he walked
down thither.
! 1t seemed to be Of considerable ex-
tent, and looked more like a shallow
pond than a marsh. a few feet out
from the shore black, stagnant water
lay in the morning sunlight; bushes
grew ont Of it here and there and tufts
of rank grass Keppel picked up Il big
stone and flung it into the tlacllness. AS
it sank quantities Of the bubbles rose to
the surface. 1t was an ugly place, and
in that foul mud ii heavy object might
be swallowed up forever.
why not:' said Keppel to himself
He saw something sticking out of the
bushes on the margin of the swamp at a
little distance. He approached it and
found an old boat, waterlogged and
leaky, but still able to float for while.
His mind was now made up.
He went back to the house and entered
the room where the body lay wrapped
up In its blanket shroud Graspins the
ropes that bound it, he dragged it across
the floor and out Of the door. Resting
occasionally, he succeeded in dragging
it to the boat, and then, inwardly re-
voting at the task, he lifted it and got
it on board. Embracing himself, he
showed ont on the surface Of the swamp.
The Shiny water stole in through the
gaping seams of the planks. AS quickly
as possible he propelled the boat to a
place where the water seemed deep.
He had previously put a heavy stone
in the boat. This he now fastened tc
the body with the rope. Finally, all be,
ing ready, he eNerted 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.
{ Crest in peace!" he muttered. He pad
died himself ashore, and returned to the
house with q feeling Of relief.
1t remained to burn the clothing anG
bedding. He first placed a quantity 0,
dry wood on the hearth, then heaped the
clothing upon it and set fire to the pile
Next he removed the bedding from tn,
bedstead. The latter was nothing but
rough framework of planl1s, apparently
9 taken from the barn and nailed together
! in a careless fashion.
r In taking Oft the mattress he saw il
! the cavity beneath it a small oblonl
chest. 1t looked shabby ard battered
t and was secured by double strap, will
t a loop attached to fasten it on the shout
y ders. 1t must be, Keppcl supposed, tn
: box in which the dead man had KEEP
his wardrobe. 1t must 90 on the fir
with the rest.
y He LAID hold of the strap, to lift tn
. box ont. 1t was unexpectedly heavy
+ He took both hands TO 1t and jerked i
= up; it came down on the floor with
e bang that Jared the house, What cal
= be in it?' said Keppel, pausing to talk
. breath, Then thought came TO hin
n that turned him pale and trembling
/. What if this should be the chest tina
4 contained the treasurer He had take
{ it so for granted that the box was burie
/ outdoors that this possibility had no
Z at first occurred to him. But now tina
|. it had occurred to him, it seemed quit
t natural. a dying man could not pu
4 his treasure in a safer place than be
9 meath his bed. As long rs he remaiue
alive he would know that it was safe
l. Now that the critical moment had ar
rived Keppel felt an almost invincihl
y reluctance to take the next step. Tn
faar Of 1iSaDDOipt maut which had hit h