The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1895-11-14
lMPERIHL MILLIONS
By JULIAN HAWTHORNE
tucpy.ight. lap1. By American PreD Aasocd
Gon.)

| should he make grave? Though this
was a farm, there were no farming iIn-
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 p.ors like shallow
pond than marsh. A few feet out
from the shore black, stagnant water
lay in the morning sunlight; bushes
grew out of it here and there and tufts
of rank grass. Keppel picked up big
stone and flung it into the b1ackness. As
it sank quantities of the bubbles rose to
the surface. 1t was an ugly place, and
in that foul mud 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 mlnQ was now MADE up.
He went back to the house and entered
the room where the body lay wrapped
up in its blanket shroud. Grasping 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. Embarking himself. he
showed out 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 heavy stone
in the boat This he now fastened to
the body with the rope Finally, all be-
ing ready, he 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.
Crest in peace!" he muttered He pad
died himself ashore, and returned to the
house with 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
rough framework of planks, apparently
taken from the barn and nailed together
in careless fashion.
In taking off the mattress he saw in
the cavity beneath it a small oblong
chest. 1t looked shabby and battered,
and was secured by double strap, with
loop attached to fasten it on the shoul-
ders. It must be, Keppel supposed, the
box in which the dead man had kept
his wardrobe. 1t must go on the fire
with the rest.
He laid hold of the strap, to lift the
box out. It was unexpectedly heavy.
He took both hands to it and jerked it
up; it came down on the floor with a
bang that Jared the house. "What can
be in it?' said Keppel, pausing to take
breath. Then thought came to him
that turned him pale and trembling
What if this should be the chest that
contained the treasure? He had taken
it so for granted that the box was buried
outdoors that this possibility had not
at first occurred to him. But now that
it had occurred to him, it seemed quite
natural. A dying man could not put
his treasure in safer place than be-
meath his bed. As long as he remained
alive he would know that it was safe.
Now that the critical moment had ar
rived Keppel felt an almost in, ncible
reluctance to take the next step. The
fear of disappointment, which had hith-
erto seemed Insignificant, now dominat-
ed everything else, and Keppel doubted
whether he could endure to find it con-
firmed. On the other hand, the idea of
success was so 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
fever1sh impatience. What did he see?
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. It broke in flashes and
CLEANS of rainbow light. Half a 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
huge sapphire, and was still partly en-
bedded in the wax that had covered and
concealed it. He took up another; il
was a diamond. He reached over to the
box and pulled out an apricot Or
breaking it open there was revealed ar
emerald as large as an acorn. He picket
up plum from the bottom of the box.
Within it was another diamond of the
finest water.
He passed his hand over his forehead.
II am the richest man in the world" he
said in a whisper; 1.-THE richest man il
the worldr'
He rose to his feet and walked about
the room. He went outdoors and wan
4 L.