The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-12
synopsis OF preceding Chapters.

synopsis of Preceding Chapters
young English woman. with her young con.
order to be near her husband who was In
prison a few miles away, sent there for murder
ancient runic ring. which tradition said bad been
made By Odin. figured in the quarrel with the me
murdered man. and tails ring the mother one DAY
showed 10 her Then she told him the stoIy
OF his father. and made him promise when ne
became a find the real murderer ana
clear his fathers name The same night ne
rrnic ring was stolen b. mashsd rog3er' an. ana
shortly after the convict. Eric MarVille. nav
ing escaped from prison. Was TecaptuIeo
IN HIS wife's room and in the hght ae-
cidentally shot AID killed her. On being
lake. back to prison ne was res sra,oa que
TO the main story. which begins with the return
OF Maryiile 10 the house Of his father. the Etttl
had been. At his fathers death ne assumed the
title. married and had son. 70 his hrst VIE
son. but later heard that he was dead The
second son returned from mis- travels aIte, com,
pietlng MS education and Drought Nlen . TIM ~ tb
mysterious casket which wakeful guest IN tne
nous watched him convey secretly 70 'ne isr1'i's
vault The earl wished his son 70 nla ~ "a a
young and wealthy cousin. Beatrice anu nd. ne 80 IL
brother Godfrey who saw the cashet hl1aeh III
the vault. At this juncture IdIts MarVllle' tns
codfrey who Vas an Ola friend bearing how
ever. the name Of Breakspear. the name nn %
Neither ne nor Godfrey knew OF the formers
relationship 10 the earl Idrs had come how
fasher. lie had translated the inscription on the
runic ring. copy OF IL having been among his
tomb. and certain indications led him to believe
that this ancient tomb was near orms aSra IN
the vicinity and resolved 20 come IN the night
and open IT,
fchapser " Continued from Yesterday
Miss Ravengar. you have proved your
self a valuable auxiliary. But for your
explanation l might still be puzzling my
mind as 10 the meaning of the oft-carried
lematic reward. Whatever spoil Is found
within shall be divided equally between
US"
s.Merci, But are YOU not promising too
much? Is not treasure-trove the property
OF the Crown"
Provided that the Crown hears of the
Pie, Mr.. Breakspearl you would corrupt
my honesty
II can depart now with a hopeful heart
for to-night's work / shall have but lit
tie difficulty in penetrating to the interior
of the hillock. We have no need to mark
the entrance. Nature has already done
He pointed to a cluster Of white flowers
growing upon the side Of the hillock. Beat
rice had no sooner set eyes upon them than
an expression of surprise stole over her
face.
''Do you know the name of this fiower?"
she said 1t Is the vernal mandrake.
What? The mandragora of the an
cients?-the plant that played so potent a
factor in classic witchcraft?"
THE same
Idr1s gazed with considerable interest
upon the pale mysterious plant around
which so many weird superstitions have
gathered
And curious circumstance it is" con-
tinued Beatrice. who was somewhat of a
botanist, that IT should be growing here"
Because it is a plant requiring cultiva-
tion. 1t does not grow wild. at least not in
this country"
planted here by human agency"
"SOwn Is perhaps a better word than
planted. II certainly did not spring up
spontaneously from the soil"
Hum This raises a curious question.
For what purpose was IL sown? Is some
one carrying on botanic experiments here?
Or shall say that my projected visit 20
the interior Of the tumulus has been fore
stalled. and my unknown fOrerunner. de-
sirous of renewing his visit at an early
date, has left these tokens here TO mark
the point of entrance. probably having
had the same difficulty as ourselves in dis
covering IL? What simpler plan could be
adopted than just TO sprinkle here a few
seeds OF the white-howeTing mandrake?'
Beatrice had nothing to say either for OF
against this last theory, and, after puzzling
themselves in vain TO account for the pres
ence OF the mandrake, they set of for
Ormsby.
on their way they passed a small work
shop belonging To the cemetery mason.
The man himself was standing at the door
and Beatrice stopped to exchange a few
civilities with him.
well. Robin. how is the world using
you2" she asked pleasantly.
Rather badly OF late. The people OF
ormsby seem TO live longer than they
Il am afraid my brother is partly re-
srionsible for that" said Beatrice de
yours. you see
mo one seems TO want tombstone now
adays, continued the man gloomily
However, I had a little work put in my
way yesterday by Mademoiselle Riviere.'
"Mademoiselle Riviere!" echoed Beatrice
in surprise. What order has she giver
.sYou have perhaps heard that more thar
twenty years ago an unknown vessel was
wrecked in Ormsby race Four bodies
only were washed ashore. and these wer,
buried in a corner of St Oswald's church
yard Mademoisele Riviere has obtained
permission OF the rector to place marble
cross over their grave"
"Did she say why she takes such an in
terest in these drowned men?" asked Beat
rice.
well, as to that l was a little bi
curious myself. and 1 could not hell
putting a question or two. MademoiselI
said she had good reason for believing tina
the lost vessel was French: and bein,
French herself she felt a desire 10 homo
their grave. II you will step inside. will
show you what she has chosen"
Idris. who felt a strange interest II
Mademoiselle Riviere. required no secon,
bidding. and with Beatrice entered tn
workshop. where the mason exhibited wit
manifest pride cross of Sicilian marble
standing on a base of the same material
This pedestal was wrought in the shape of
rock. and decorated with seaweed and al
anchor.
what is the epitaph TO be?'' aske,
Idris. after some words complimentary [
the masons skill.
The man produced a paper upon whic
was written. in the same delicate fiowin
penmanship that had adroned the margi
of the Lombard historian. the following
words:
SACRED
TO THE MEMORY
OF
THE DROWNED.
Oct. Is. 1876.
He that Is without sin. let him first cas-
the stone ="
Idris laid down the paper and after
few more words with the mason, the tw
went on their way again.
''Mademoiselle Riviere must know some
thing more about those shipwrecked me
than that they were Frenchmen merely
observed Idris. IF the verse cited is
have any application at all, IL must mea
that the drowned men guilty Of
know not what, but something upon whic
the world would not look leniently Henc,
perhaps. the absence OF their names fror
the epitaph.
''You think she knows their names?"
Without doubt Why should a lad