Catoctin clarion., 1897-05-06

0cEmany. WOulQ IL DC advisable to
bring about collision between Germany
and United States? Is it possible that
arrangements can still be made about
Mexico? If we miscarry with Germany
something must be done tA tAconsolidate
and stimulate imperial sentiment here
Our hand and SEAL"
The political immortality indicated by
this document did not at the time par
ticularly impress Keppel; his interest
was monopolized by that part of the let
ter relating to the treasure. For some
minutes his mind staggered in bewilder-
ment at the suggestion presented to it.
1t seemed fap more incredible now than
before that great fortune should actu-
ally be within his reach. He had dreamed
wild dream of hundreds of thousands
of dollars, and it had almost seemed real
to him, but now that he heard, as it
were, the very jingle Of a hundred mill
ions he could not believe it. And yet
the evidence that fortune not less vast
lay possibly within a few yards of where
he was sitting was more than plausible.
The more he examined it the more plaus-
ible did it appear.
He endeavored to review the situation
step by step. He had found man who
manifestly carried some weighty secret
on his mind. This man, who was dying
of yellow fever, spoke of one Maurice as
being dead and as haunting him. Who
could Maurice he but the Maurice So
lange mentioned in the cipher letter?
Maurice, then, according to the letter,
had been dispatched in charge of treas.
ure to America by way of India and the
making such a voyage to be visited by
yellow fever. Maurice may have died
Of it, or he may have been murdered.
Be that as it might, the man whose body
lay within there had evidently got hold
of the treasure and had brought it here.
He had said that he meant to dispose Of
it piece by piece. He had spoken of the
emperor. Who could this emperor be
but Napoleon? And by whom, unless by
Napoleon, could the cipher letter have
been written? Napoleon, for reasons Of
his own, had determined to send this
treasure to som& one in New York. Who
was that person? The 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 a dealer in
precious stones, and was known to be
personally acquainted with the French
emperor. The pieces of the puzzle fitted
into one another like mosaic. And by
a strange fatality Keppel Darke, who
had been wrongfully accused of murder
ing Trent, had, through that accusation,
been brought in contact with a fortune
not inferior to any in the world.
But where was the treasure? Was it
in the neighborhood?
Keppel looked about him. A garden
two or three acres in 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 a few struggling apple
trees growing upon it. The place was a
deserted farm, such as is often met with
on Long Island, and may not have been
inhabited for many years. The treasure
was 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 q
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 1t.
But now the question REQUIRED, how
should he make grave7 Though this
was farm, there were no farming i'm
plements on it. The soil was sandy, to
be sure, but it would take days to make
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.
It seemed to be of considerable ex-
tent, and looked more like shallow
pond than a 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 Ii
stone and flung it into the blackneas.
it sank quantities of the bubbles rose
the surface. 1t was an ugly place, al
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 tho margin of the swamp at
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 it's 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
SQOVeu OuC OIL LILO SUI Lace VI llAC oWdLlp.
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.
'Rest in peace!" he muttered. He pad
died himself ashore, and returned to the
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