Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-02-08

VA VOW that had put my tongue to
kAH the word / was confident of
V my discovery. All the facts
- pointed one way, and l was
dumfounded at my previous obtuse-
ness. For what but hidden store of
treasure would explain these incessant
attempts upon the house itself or the
insistent efforts to take it out of my
hands? And what again but treasure
could supply so natural key to old
Kestevens death and his mysterious
secret? 1t seemed to me, too, that up
on this hypothesis several facts hither-
to inexplicable might be referred to
reason. The eccentricity of my host in
choosing me for his heir became not SO
much an eccentricity as studious
piece of policy. He was, in the general
verdict, devoid of living relatives, and
had so long fallen out of the world as to
be practically friendless. He had made
up his mind to my honesty, possibly to
my capability, and was resolved to
trust me- If this We're So as saw it
now, the making Of the will had been
an inevitable act in the game he in
tended to play.
/ could not imagine that he had fore
seen his sudden death, yet with his
knowledge that he had an organic dis
ease it was wise to take punctual pre-
cautions. 1t was probable also that
the news he had evidently received
upon the morning of that fatal day
ffa4 10
/ was to be admitted to his confidence.
Twice he had been interrupted in the
very nick of his narratiye-the second
time by the interposition of Death
himself. In these considerations my
thoughts We're naturally drawn to the
events Of that evening. Why had Kes-
teven retired to his room? Obviously
there was a connection between his err
rand and the sheet of parchment which
/ had detached from his clutch.
opened my dispatch box and spread
out the paper on the table once more,
porting over. it with my pulse throbbing
to my finger tips The meaning was
now plain, though the main secret was
yet to find. The parchment was clear
| " the second sheet only of the dOcu-
ment which Mr.. Kesteven had desired
to bring down for my perusal I sat up
at a new and more alarming discovery.
| Where was the first sheet?
That open window now offered up its
secret. That desperate cry was no
longer now the scream of mortal ago
| ny, but an appeal for help. From the
| dead fingers I had taken the second
sheet Of the mysterious document, Sc
| pregnant with interest, but from the
hands of the living could not doubt
| that the first had been violently torn In
| the course of a struggle in that silent
| chamber. Terror had surprised the ras-
| cal at his work-the terror of that sud
den and fearful dissolution, Of that
bumped and pitiful body fallen on the
| floor. And here now with two ends of
! the secret, whatever it might be, rent
asunder and secluded in separate
hands, the hoard OF treasure still lay
| buried in its ancient hiding place as in,
tact and private as it had lain maybe
through hundreds of years of silence.
| My riddle was read. That certainly
was a great step, and in the heat of
| my discovery, as sat palpitating with
strange emotions of adventure, avarice.
even of ferocity, had no intention to
| leave the matter where it stood. I was
resolved to confront fate and to enter
| the lists against those undetermined
| enemies. So far they had kept very
/ Silent wnrJxinv only In tIq dark h11f