The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-07-21

suggested that the old man was tnle1 ;
but we'll remember his miSerly habits
of more than twenty years ago. Miser-
illness once acquired is never shaken
off. but intensifies with time. What
can be more reasonable than to sup
pose that when Knight L. Faulkner
were making the alterations in the
Hall, the treasure was accidentally
revealed to Adams?-who would be
quite safe, he would think, in conclud-
ing that its existence was unknown to
your father or any other member OF
our family from the mere fact of it
being where it was. Many people who
can look with equanimity on piles Of
bank notes are strangely moved at
sight of heap of gold coins, and find
the Internal stuff quite Irresistible.
This I believe was the case with
Adams; and 1 base my opinion on his
going so much in and out of the crypt
about the time the robbery Is sup
posed to have taken place, his strange
finding of you there, his illness imme-
diately afterwards, his lies to incrimi-
nate me, and his gift to you of fifty
pounds. This last move Of the old
man was to salve his conscience rather
than to benefit you. That conscience
is a vile thing and troubles great
many people, know well; for l had
conscience myself some years ago.
1t was q great nuisance. However, l
take only i remote interest in all these
things, and but for your sake, don't
care two straws what became of the
sequins. Your father has treated me
too badly for friendship between us
even to be renewed; but l confess l
should be gratified to learn that his
frightful blunder has been demon
strated to him. This is my position;
and if you intend to try to recover the
treasure-good; l will help you with
advice and money. Or if you don't
think the amount worth the trouble,
good again; and We will agree not to
speak or think any more of the mat
ter"
At another time my uncle's declara-
tion would have depressed me, for cer-
tainly there was but one thing / more
ardently desired than his reconciliation
with my father. But l was not now
disposed to be easily depressed. On
the contrary, to my eyes all things had
put on a rosy hue, and l not only
looked for the speedy possession Of
quarter of a million sequins, and OF
Constance Marsh as my wife, but also
for the patching up of the miserable
feud of which uncle Sam had just
spoken. Lovers thoughts are so ex-
travagantly fantastical that l was
Oblivious of the fact that the sequins
might never be recovered, or if recCv-
cred We're not mine; that Constance
Marsh had not promised to marry me;
and that my uncle had just declared
the impossibility of renewing his for
mer friendship with my father. In
this cheerful mood / answered that
l had fully determined to follow up the
clue he had suggested, and was pre-
pared to accept any assistance he
might think necessary and was pre-
pared to offer.
VERY good said uncle Sam. ''The
case is a simple one. You have not to
deal with an accomplished thief, but
an ignorant old miser. who was over
come by large temptation and has
already manifested symptom of re-
morse. The world knows nothing of
it's greatest thieves; their success pre-
vents that. Your object, as I under
stand it, is to get grip on those Sc
quins; and mine merely to establish
the fact that I had no hand in abb
stracting them. Am right"
"Quite right, uncle"
"Well, you have but to follow my
directions, and l venture to predict
that you will recover every sequin be-
fore three weeks are over your head.
Return at once to Holdenhurst, and for
a few days closely observe every act
of Adams; but be extremely cautious
that the old man doesn't become con-
scious you are watching him. Talk to
him freely, but make no attempt to
sound him on any point which bears,
however remotely, on the matter in
hand. 1t is not unlikely your vigilance
will be rewarded by valuable knowl-
edge. About a week after your re-
turn send the old man on some errand
which will keep him away from Hold
enhurst for an entire day, and during
his absence thoroughly examine his
room and everything that is his. Don't
scruple to turn out his drawers and
boxes-his suspicious conduct fully JUS
tifies the act. Should you fail to find
the sequins, when the old man returns,
seize him by the throat and, forcing
him against the wall thus'-here uncle
Sam suddenly arose and, grasping me
tightly around the neck with his left
hand, pushed me backwards against
a large cabinet with such vigor that
l was almost strangled, and my white
Yyn n