The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-05-19

the gold, the silver and the diamond
were left. The sealed instructions will
them would undoubted reveal furthe
determination on the part of the deaf
woman 10 insult and rob the family
Mistress Chevalier's coffin had beer
placed in the family vault betweel
those of her husband and their littl,
son. BY her desire the collins were oil
one shelf, touching each other, anC
covered with velvet pail, on whicl
she herself had laboriously embroider
ell the Chevalier coat of arms, with il
significant crest and motto.
The vault was in the churchyard o
old King William, Seaforth, facing tn.
salt marsh and ianked by the rice
fields.
Thi;her went, in his rage, the son o
Robert the Devil.
BY his direction the mistress cofliT
was dragged out, wrapped in the pal
and sunk in the edge of the marsh, with
not a stone to do it reverence.
BY night came Niobe's son-who
mindful of his life interest, felt asham
ed of his Cousins poor revenge-dug III
the coffin and replaced it, dripping, in
the vault.
\ slave of his let slip the thing to q
fellow belonging to Robert.
Again the vault was opened, the
casket was dragged out by slaves, and
in the flare of pine knots was delivered
to the marsh-this time in a spot
where the salt tides rose daily and
flooded the place.
Then the avenger e disappointment
and family dishonor met his cousin in
the city street and triumphed over him
"No easy matter, either" he conclud.
ed, "for the old mummy case was dam
nably heavy. Find it again, if you
can"
He passed sneeringly.
Niobe's son let the marsh keep its
secret and bided his time.
When the year had expired, the va
rious heads of the tribe met, as if 10y
appointment, in the private office OF
the president of the bank.
But each one, as he entered, looked
haughtily and inquiringly at the 9TH
ers. At midday the large and ponder
Gus strong box was brought into the
office and the key inserted in its intri'
cate lock.
The men and women crowded about
the table, squeezing and jostling each
other, the women showing aside their
Grape wells to see better.
For 80 years and more no one had
laid eyes on the once famous Chevalier
diamonds.
The box lid was thrown back-all
the necks were craned.
The mems fingers itched for the gold
and silver, the women's for the precious
stones.
The box was empty.
Empty-save for folded square OF
paper, sealed and stamped with an
Arabic cipher.
''Shall open it," inquired the presi-
dent of the bank, looking from one be.
wondered face to another.
''If you please" answered Niobe's
son.
us there no address,
"None whater."
Broken open, the letter ran:
Ny DEAR RoBERT-Sixty years ago
1 wronged your father. To-day | re-
pair the wrong as far Us | am able.
intended leaving my plate and jewels
in this box for you, but prefer To give
them TO you with my own hands.
Come and take them from me. Your
affectionate grandmother.
JUANA DE RILEAS-CHEvALIER.
A card with mourning border drop,
ped from the letter to the table.
Robert picked it up mechanically
and read: "Mistress Geoffrey Robert
Chevalier. AT home. The Chevalier
vault, King William, Seaforth.'
''Godri lac calculated, staring at the
bit of glazed pasteboard and then al
Niobe's son.
Then he seized his hat, pushed his
wife aside and rushed from the bank,
From the city TO Seaforth Station,
st. Peters parish, from the station to
the churchyard, from the churchyard
to the marsh.
The tide was up.
For hours he sat looking at the slow
ly receding water.
Niobe's son touched him on the
shoulder.
"Fool," he asked politely, "where
did you bury her?"
"There," said Robert doggedly, point
ing ahead of him.
The marsh was drying, with sucking
sounds, under the sun. A slave neal
by murmured to himself.
They caught one word, then waded
to the spot and dug, sank spade, a log
of wood and several other heavier
things and watched the quieksand suck
them out of sight.
Then they scrambled to the marsh
and went each his separate way
Claud NJ. Girardeau in Lippincott:
Magazine.