Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1906-05-24
RMONT. FREDERICK COUNTY, MD. THURSDAY MAY a.

actly alike. Having scrutinlzed eacn
very carefully with the aid of read
ing glass, l handed them back to my
father, who paused, as If expecting me
to make some comment, but remained
silent.
"Pierto Lando," said my father,
"was Doge of Venice from 1888 to
1915; so you will agree with me that
abundance of sequins such as these
must have been in circulation In Ven.
ice when your ancestor, Roger True
man, was there century later"
I nodded assent, and my father con-
tinued:
II am informed by John Adams
| (than whom more faithful servant
never lived) that your uncle. ON the
first day of his return here, seized
the opportunity while you and were
preparing for dinner, to descend, unob-
served by us, into the crypt. 1t seems
he asked old John for a lighted lamp;
and John, at loss to know what your
uncle wanted with 1t (for 1t was broad
daylight, as you know, with pardon
able curiosity. observed his move
ments, and was surprised to find that
he went boldly down into the crypt.
, So little conscious was old John that
he was playing the part Of spy that
he soon afterwards followed your un-
| Gle and found him standing, lamp
| in hand, In front Gr the Abbots Cell,
| probing between the bricks with a
pocket knife. John asked your uncle
| If he could assist him in any way, who
thereupon turned upon him In great
| anger and alarm, cursing him for q
meddlesome old fool. A little later
| your uncle gave old John two sover-
eigns, and told him not to think SER
iously of what he had said; that he
liked to express himself emphatically.
| The incident impressed our old servant
| as q strange occurrence, but aroused in
him no suspicion Of foul play. When.
| however, OH the occasion of his visit
here with his wife, your uncle was
| observed to go down into the crypt
a second time, and to remain there the
greater part of one night. old John
feared that some sinister design
| against my interests must be afOot;
| yet he dared not again follow him.
and refrained from reporting the cir
| cumstance to me lest, my brother hay
ing gone there with my permission.
[ should resent the imputatiOn which
the giving of such information would
necessarily imply"
Again my father paused, as If ex-
| oecting me to remark upon his narra-
tive: but l uttered no word. and he
went on:
"On visiting the crypt next morning
| John found that sufficient bricks had
been removed to allow Of entrance
into the cell, and entering there him
self fol- the first time he observed
! that the place contained several very
heavy chests. Concluding that it was
merely curiosity which had induced
| your uncle to visit the crypt, John did
not go down there again until the day
| before you went to London, when the
chests were all empty. and he picked
| up two of these sequins just outside
the cell. The third sequin was found
by housemaid in the bed room oc-
cupied by your uncle and aunt, and
was brought by her to me-"
A long silence ensued, which both
of us seemed unwilling to break. At
last said:
"And you are satisfied that uncle
Sam stole those sequinsT
unfortunately. am" he replied,
bowling his head. II wish to Heaven
l could have arrived at some other
conclusion. But 1t was not possible;
the evidence was too clear and ad-
mitted of no alternative
"The evidence Is not clear to me.
Might it not be that some person other
than uncle Sam is the thief-old John
himself, for instance-and that he Is
diyerting suspicion Of the real thief
to your brother:"
"Ah, my boy. have thought deeply
of all that" said my father, shaking
his head sadly. John Adams Is an
old man who believes he is without
a relation in the world. He was in
your grandfather's service when he
was quite n young boy, years before
I was born, and has always shown
himself truthful and honest. He does
not want for money, for not long ago
he told me that he had 5000 In the
bank, the result of his lifelong econo-
my and self-denial. Now that he is
old, and vsibly nearing the close Of
his life, 1t Is quite improbable that
he would 60 out of his way to rob
me of large sum Of money which
could be of very small use to him.
/ Besides, he was always an admirer
Of your uncle Sam; he frequently asked
me for news of him, and expressed
much pleasure when Informed that
he was coming to England. And
these are the circumstances Of the
case, all of them pointing one way.
Did not your uncle himself speak to
me about the treasure very soon
after his return here?-a subject not
mentioned by anybody for l don't
know how many years. And what OF
the sequin found by Phoebe on the
floor of your uncle's bedroom? And
| haven't we seen what has been the
effect upon John of the whole affair?
Why, 1t very nearly killed him; and to
this day he goes about the house the
shadow of his former self. He has
aged terribly. DR.. Thurlow was re-
marking to me only yesterday how
rapidly he Is breaking up"