Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1892-10-01

picked it to pieces thinking OF Mary
and wondering if the days would eHcr
brighten.
He had been pursuing this aimls IS o"'
cupation for some time, Wh"H >.,..." ."'lT
H. observed that the fac" o, til" lin,'r
which he held in his hand was less dis
colored than that which surrounded the
edge of the broken patch. He drew his
chair closer to the wall. and in cXamin-
ing found that hole had once been made
through the lathing about foot square.
The pieces had afterward been sphced
and IL new coat of plasteiing Overland.
His curiosity was now excited to know
the object of the opening, and so he
brought a hammer from a chest and
proceeded to draw the nails. After re-
mo,ing the pieces he reached in and be-
gan to explore. There was nothing to
be found. however, so he washed his
hanGS and began to clear away the de-
lris
As he WAS about to replace the
pieces of lath he thought he sa"
string hanging down into the cavity.
He coached his hand again into the
oprning, took hold of the iiIament and
pulled. but it promptly broke. He e1-
amincd the tibers and discovered that 1t
was an old piece of silk cord, now eX-
trrmely rotten and iiscolored. He be-
came more curious and resolved to trace
the mystery to its source. He reached
his hand into the cavity as far as he
could, following the cord. Again he
pulled, and this time it resisted and he
fr!t something at the other end move
slightly. He gave a stronger pull, but
the cord broke, this time at the point of
attachment
He improvised hook by driving a
nail into the end of a piece of board,
and with this succeeded in drawing
something toward him. Finally he was
able to reach the object. He drew it in
front of the opening, and with both
hands lifted an old mahogany box out
upon the floor For some time he sat
staring at it i'll curious suspense
Well, You are a queer fish in queer
waters said Severn to himself with
suppressed excitement. Il guess YOU
must have lost yollr bearings or YOU
would never have been swallowed by
this shark of wall. I'll find ont what 3
inside of Won at any rate, and taking
~ a hammer he struck the old lock il
h""y blow. He struck it again and
Fl Nv open.
i,rvern drew back in astonishmnnt
and wonder, for his eyes rested upon
Large leathern bag and beside it were
two bars of gold. With trembling hands
he }oosened the strings of the sack aad
opened it, to find it full of gold coins.
j here were several com! artments in
the chest In one he found sparkling
row of rings, and as he held them
up to the light he saw by their briliancy
Il at they We're diamonds of rare value
He found some papers that purportel
possession of a large amount of English
property in one Cyrus Holloway, great
grandfather of his present landlord.
There was an inventory of the contents
Of the box and TIE amount counted up
into the hundreds of thousands.
He was overwhelmed by the discov-
cry and sat down to collect his thoughts.
He remembered now of having once
ueard that Mr.. Holloway had come of
wealthy ancestry, but that during the
revolutionary war the largest part of
the property had been lost, and that
the fortune of the present Mr.. Hollo-
way was mostly of his own acquisition.
There could be no doubt that the box
belonged by right to his landlord, but
the temptation was terrible. There
was no chance of discovery if he kept it
himself, and besides it could add no
material happiness to the legitimate
owner, for he already had sutficiency.
To Severn it represented all the COM
forts of life. He could pay all his
debts, free his fathers farm from the
mortgage, complete his education and
afterward provide home for Mary.
The perspiration stood in beads on his
forehead as he struggled against the
tempter Finally he arose and with
compressed lips donned his hat, and
locking the door behind him he turned
his steps toward Mr.. Holloway's.
''Of course it's mine, every cent of
it, said Mr.. Holloway, when an hour
later he stood before the opened box.
His ewes cleaned with satisfaction as he
bchrld the contents. He tucked tho
box under his coat and left the house,
with an admonition to Severn to keep
quiet for few weeks.
Severn felt intensely relieved. Il
have been saved from worse fate than
poverty" he thought, as he sat down to
liS book.
That evening Mr. Hollowav's agent
called to announce that Severn would
be allowed time on his loan. and that he
MIGHT have much better room i'll ono
OF MS new houses, with unlimited time
for the payment OF rent.
Severn was overjoyed; he sent the
money to his mother, moved into his
new quarters and afterward. hy mystcr-
irlls good luck, secured lucrative work,
l,y means of which he completed lis
c,,t..sr il college very comfortably On
DAY Of graduation Mr.. licl}2v&y
in at ths door of thc clut"h a"1
= - lrmtin@ congl"' ion, iu.,, 4
lin to c,tlI tie nest l'.u.uinT at IDS
o".''e.
At the a,,pri .:rd tin, he was on
/. II ne! an ho.,.-t n,an to at
j,t..y i..'..,s'. r.:s. i y"n "isi to
.,t 90 .,,' ,;iau @, T y"n will ''' a 10
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