Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1906-05-30
The Man in the
Mummy Case
By A. SARSFIELD WARD.
CCopyright. by Joseph B. Bowles)

The days business being concluded.
the stan OF police who patrol nightly
the Great Portland Square museum
duly filed into the building. A man
Is placed in each room, Ii being his
duty to thoroughly examine every nook
and Granny: having done which, all
doors OF communication are closed. the
officer on guard in one room being I'M
able TO leave his post or to enter an
other
The constable in the Etruscan room
glanced into the various sarcophagi
and cast the rays OF his bulls-eye Ian
tern into the shadows OF the great
stone tombs. Satisfied that no one
lurked there, he mounted the steps
leading up to the Roman gallery.
Then a singular thing occurred.
From somewhere within the dark
ened chamber beneath there came the
sound OF a hollow cough!
BY no means deficient in courage.
the constable went down the steps in
three bounds, his lantern throwing
discs OF light on stately statues and
gloomy tombs. II was upon casting
the rays of his bull's-eye into the last
sarcophagus that he experienced a
sudden sensation OF fear. II was
empty; yet he distinctly remembered.
from his previous examination, that a
mummy had lain therel
Very strange!" muttered the SER
was sounding.
From all over the building men
came running. for none of the doors
had yet been locked.
There seems TO be some one con
cealed in the museum; search all the
rooms again." was the brief order.
The constable disappeared, and the
sergeant, accompanied by the inspec-
tor. went down to examine the Etrus-
can room. Nothing was found there.
nor were any of the other searchers
more successful
"A mummy in the end tomb" ex-
claimed the curator OF Etruscan anti
quities when consulted the next morn
ing. my dear sir, there has been no
mummy there for nearly a MONTH"
But my man states that he saw
oIe there last night" declared the
Inspector.
The curator looked puzzled. Turn
ing to an attendant, he said: WHO
was in charge OF the Etruscan room
Immediately before six last night?"
Il was, sir"
Are you sure mat no one concealed
himself"
The man looked startled. We'll
sir" he said, hesitatingly, I'm sorry
didn't report 1t before; but when
the head attendant called me, at about
twenty-five minutes to six, there was
some one there, a gent in a seedy
frock-coat and a high hat, and / don't
remember seeing him come out"
did you search the room?"
Yes, sir; but there was no one to
be scent"
you should have reported the mat
ter at once"
The words had but just left his lips
when a museum official, a well-known
antiquarian expert, ran up In a per
feet frenzy of excitement. Good
heavens!" he gasped, The Rienzi
vase has gone!"
What" came an incredulous
chorus.
The circular top OF the case had
been completely cut out and ingen-
iously replaced, and a plausible imita-
ton OF the vase substituted.
Never before nor since has such a
scene been witnessed in the museum.
1t was at this juncture, and whilst
everybody was speaking at once, that
one Of the party standing close to a
wall-cabinet, suddenly held up a warn.
ing finger "Hush!" he said; "listen!"
A sudden silence fell upon the room
so that people running about In other
apartments could be plainly heard
and presently, from somewhere be-
hind the glass doors surrounding the
place, came a low moan, electrifyine
the already excited listeners. The
keys were promptly forthcoming, and
then was made the second astounding
discovery Of the eventful morning
A man, gagged and bound. was Inn
prisoned behind a great mummy CASE
Eager hands set to work to release
him. and restoratives we're applied. as
he seemed to be in a very weak con-
dition. He was but partially dressed
On regaining his senses he had dis
sppointingly little TO tell. He was
Constable Smith, who had been on
night duty In the Egyptian room
Some time during the first hour, and
not long after the alarm in the base
ment. he had been mysteriousiy pin
Toned as he paraded the apartment
He caught no glimpse OF his oppo
nent who held him from behind In
such a manner that he was totally un
able to defend himself Some sweet
smelling drrP had bepn anptfed 70 his
nostrils. and he remembered no more
until regainfng partial consciousness
in the mummy case. That was the
whole OF HIS testimony
The matter was carefully kept out
Of 'the papers. although the museum
throughout many following days. posi-