Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-05-02

tween them to our camp. I'm not 60
ing to read you lecture ON the i'm
morality of gambling, young Hawley,
nor lengthen out this story with an ac-
count of my life in Mexico. Suffice it
to say that 1 kept my resolution in re-
gard to gaming, and whatever fortune
l have made was not amassed in Mex
lean mines"
Il suppose you got this piece back
by purchasing it from the winner, "
remarked the professor, dropping it
on the table and putting down his ear
to listen to the ring.
"To my great chagrin he left Sal
tillo that same afternoon, and I never
set eyes on him again"
"Indeed! Then how in the world
did you regain possession of it?"
"Forty years later" said the col
onel slowly.
"Phew," whistled young Hawley,
under his breath.
81 was sojourning for few days in
small town in Southern Spain.
Passing through a narrow street one
afternoon on my way back to the
hotel, CHANGED to stop, as any one
might, to look into the window of q
dealer in curios, and the first object
that caught my eye was this identical
coin. Now, l know that this sounds
incredible. I, myself, at first thought
it was merely coin of the same de-
nomination and date, but imagine my
surprise when, upon going in and ex-
amining it closely I discovered that it
was the very same Louis that I had
lost at play in Saltillo so many years
ago. 1 gladly paid the shopkeeper
six pesos for it, aud I have carried it
in my pocket ever since"
Here the colonel stopped.
"Is that all?" inquired young
Hawley.
"That is all, except that 1 will now
proceed to show you---"
'Will you permit me to take look
at the coin?" The speaker who inter
rupted them had risen from a table in
the adjoining alcove and now stood at
the professors elbow. He looked
some years older than the colonel, his
hair was white and he leaned upon a
heavy cane, one leg being decidedly
lame.
"I'm Major Tracer; I overheard
part of your conversation as | sat at
my table there, and | was so interested
that 1 could not refrain from coming
over and, at the risk of intruding, TAX
ing part in it."
"No intrusion at all, sir. One old
soldier is always glad to make the
acquaintance OF another, aud your
name, major, is known to every veter-
an of the Mexican War. Permit me
to introduce my friends, Professor
Langton and Mr.. Hawley."
''Ihe colonel has Just been enter
tanning us with remarkable account
of the loss and subsequent recovery of
this piece of money" said the pro-
fessor, handing the coin to the major.
Seventeen seventy-six-the same
date" said the major half to himself
Then putting the coin on the table he
took up fruit knife and, placing the
dull point exactly over the letter go"
in the word Louis, hairs breadth
from the edge, he gave sharp, quick
pressure and the face of the coin flew
open as though on spring. With an
exclamation of surprise the professor
took it and inspected it closely. Some
skilled workman had cut it open all
around the milled edge and fitted a
spring inside, just under the letter
60" So nicely had the work been
done that when closed it was not ap-
parent to the naked eye. When
opened, it was seen that groove had
been followed through the inside
about an inch and halflong and one
eighth of an inch wide.
''By all the powers, how comes it
that you knew that secret?" cried the
colonel, dumbfounded, as the major
threw the fruit knife back on the table
Without answering the question di-
rectly, the major took the other old
soldier by the hand and, looking into
his eyes with peculiar expression on
his face, asked: "Were you the man
who did that delicate piece of mechani-
cal work."
II was.
"rell me what on earth induced you
to do it?"
''For the life of me I can't say.
What induces people to make baskets
out Of cherry pits, lockets out of hair
and the thousand and one little GIN
cracks that are always being made? I
was skillful workman, and in an idle
hour L took up this coin, cut it open
and fitted it with a spring There is
just one way to open it. You must
have had the piece in your possession
at one time and stumbled upon the
secret. ] put something in that cavity
in the centre-did you take it out?"
81 did"
The major drew up a chair and
stretched his stiff leg out under the
table comfortably. SIN 1S47," he
began, looking ixedly at the colonel,
81 was also in Mexico" The colonel
nodded and handed the major a cigar.
Thanks. | was with Scott at Vera