Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-09-01

anu now Iney were at r1SnI, angles. L
was astonished, perplexed. I tried to
get then, back to their original posi-
tion, but they were firm. What did
it mean? I turned the pin around in
every conceivable way, pressed every
part for secret springs, but no solution
Of the puzzle offered itself. Much dis
I laid it down, and my wife
took it and began to examine it.
In picking it up the point of the
clay more pressed against the table,
and her finger rested on the hilt Of
the simitar. Immediately there was
o click rs before, but~-mirabile dictu!
the jewel did not assume its original
form, but the simitar openaa like o
box split lengthwise. That is, there
were now two scimetars precisely
alike, each one half rs thick rs the
first one, joined by most perfect but
entirely invisible hinge, and inside
was tiny piece of very, very fine
parchment.
Trembling with easerness 7 opened
the parchment. Ha!-something write
ten but in Arabic. What shamel
But no; I would show it to my friend
the Jew. He would interpret it for
me.
| looked longingly at the claymore
and tried to open it. I set its point,
on the table and pressed it's hilt. No
result! Then 1 remembered that when
the simitar opened the point of the
sword touched the table and my wife
pressed the hill Of the former weapon.
I believed I had found the secret.
Setting the points of the Saracen
weapon on the table I touched the
basket hilt OF the tiny claymore.
Magic! Open few the sword. In it
was o paper OF parchment like the
other, but-triumph!-in English
And this is what it said II had to use
a magnifying glass to read it):
'In the Name Of God. Amenl"
Then followed the regular legal for
mula of an English viii, bequeathing
to James Thursby or his heirs the sum
of 800, 900 sterling, to be found de-.
posted in the Bank of England. It
was signed 'tNoureddin Aga" and
witnessed with long Turkish names.
Then followed the name of prom,
inent London business house as agent,
of Noureddin, and in whose name the.
deposit had been made.
TO say tnat I was utterly dumb.
founded is to put it very mildly in
deed. It read 80 much like a fairy
tale that 1 almost looked to see the pin
take wings and fly of. As for my
wife, she acted as though she was be-
witched. We sat staring at each
other in silence. She was the first to
speak.
Stephen" she said, "I think"
but here there came voice from the
door. "Where's Sue?" it said, and
my wife's elder half-brother appeared.
No sooner, however, had he glanced
at the table than he stopped short and
cried excitedly: "Where did you set
that?"
'We are just recovering from the
surprise it gave u.s., said I, laughing.
"Look at it..
But he had it in his hand before I
had spoken, saying as he picked itup,
"This is worth fortune to you."
I looked at Sue in surprise.
''What is it, Arthur" she asked
eagerly. ''Tell US about it; we
don't understand.
GAS I thought" he said, as he
scanned the document in English.
Arthur" said his sister, fretfully,
chow can you keep us in such sus-
pense?"
"Well," replied Arthur, 'it's rather
a long story, but you shall have it as1
got it from your father. The Thursbys,
you know, are very old family. They
date back further than the Conquest.
The Jarl Malise Thursbigh, for so it
was originally spelled, is said to have
been Norwegian, who came to Scot
land some time about the year 1000
A. D. His grandson Magnus was
knight in the First Crusade. He
fought under Hugh of Vermandois at
the battle of Antioch. During o
charge Magnus' heavy Nor
man horse stepped on q wounded
Turk and crushed his foot.
''In the heat of battle Magnus could
not stop for one man, though he did
remark the noble countenance of the
Moslem over whom he had ridden.
But after the Turks ht1 been driven
back, and he, like true knight, was
caring for the wounded scattered over
the plain, he came acrots this same
man. Magnus cared for him, nursed
him tenderly, and they struck up quite
a friendship. Noureddin, the Turk,
was man of afluence and nobility
Of character. Before they separated
hey exchanged weapons, Noureddin
taking Magnus' heavy Scotch clay
more, and Magnus the simitar of the
Moslem.
'They met again at Ascalon, this
ime Magnus being prisoner. The
Mussulman treated him like
prince and had two jeweled breast
bins made by Damascene artisan,
showing sword crossing silnitar
,ver hecrt of gold. Each tool, one as
!. keepsake, and solemnly swore-a
strange compact it was-that when the
male line of either failed all the earth
y possessions of that house should 20
% the lat surviving member Of the
lther's family. Where did you get
his?"
I explained to him all I knew of it.
''I see," he said, "the Turk must
lave been the last of his house.
lave no doubt he had all his property
rranged in this way by bank deposit,
n accordance with the oath of his an
estor made 800 years before.
There is nothing more to be said ex-
ept that I went to the bank, and found
verything all correct, and my wife
leiress to 200, 900. My old friend the
irtuoso I did not forget, but made