The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1907-05-16

mate to San Pietro, full of his secret
and eager to investigate, hoping
against hope that he might become
the possessor Of the mummy. 1t was
seven-mile drive to the mission
| home of Knauss, but the doctor was
there before 8 o'clock in the morning
after his arrival at the railroad sta
ton. Knauss was from home. Frau
lein Matilda, the daughter, who was
very pretty and spoke English per-
fectly, didn't know. The women
stared at DR.. Shumate. He decided
to keep secret the purpose Of his visit
and was driving off, when Matilda
came furtively through the hedge of
mesquite and said:
1T is secret, DR.. Shumate.
Mamma does not know. Papa said
should bring you to it,"
He made room for her beside him
| and she directed him into an old trail
beyond tho chaparral for mile in
the quivering heat Of the sun, ard in
the blazing dust of the parched fields
before she showed him the ruins of
the old tomb with the fresh earth of
recent excavations piled about the
sunken entrance.
You must only look, DOCTOR" ex-
planned Matilda when they had tied
! the horse and alighted. Papa says
you may not touch the-he calls it
The Abbot because there is a gold
ring on the finger-that you may
only look at it."
He followed her down into the
dark hole, stepping among clay
stained bones and noticing three
skulls ranged in row within. She
lighted a candle and motioned him
to remain by the dim opening. Then
he put on his double-lense glasses
and saw the mummy. 1t was the
body OF a young or middle-aged
franciscan almost perfectly pre-
served. Dust, as of lime and sand.
was sprinkled thinly upon the scant
hair and thin face. The crown of the
head was shaven, the thick wooden
cowl was back, disclosing the ascetic
but life-like. face of the Abbot. The
bony hands, clasped across the
breast, held rosary and a cross.
Only the cord, peculiar to the Fran
ciscan order, showed signs that the
remains had been prepared for burial.
1t was wrapped about the arms and
lower extremities of the body, tightly
incasing it within the brown gown of
the monastic habit.
Papa will show it to you again."
said Matilda, blowing out the light,
before the excited scientist had salts
fed a whit of his curiosity, he may
be home now"
They drove back to the mission
and Knauss was there. The doctor
stayed for dinner, and at supper time
he was still in earnest, eager and
whispering consultation with the old
custodian. At last he seemed salts
fed to go. He drove back to town in
a hurry, and at midnight returned
alone in wagon
There's your money, Knauss," he
said to the farmer who came out to
meet him - lin one hundred dollar
bills. All you have to do now is help
me load him into the wagon
Before dawn DR.. Shumate had his
mummy safe on the floor of his room
in San Jose. He put newspapers over
the uncurtained window and locked
his door. Then he removed the old
blankets with which he had covered
the mummy, brought the coal-oil
lamp nearer, pulled out another pair
of spectacles and chuckled: "It's a
treasure! A wonderful example
Of"
For Gods sake cut the rope!"
said the corpse, Il fell like a mummy
for sure!"
The doctors glasses fell to the
floor as he jumped up. but the Abbot
quite calmly, as becomes a deceased
clergyman, continued:
Don't get excited, daddy. I'm
Maurice, all right, your son, Maurice.
I fixed it up with Matilda. She's my
wife, daddy. When you came round
here looking for mummies I heard
about you, and-well, / had the wife
then, and I thought if I only had the
thousand dollars-that first thou
sand, you know, daddy, why may
be you'd take me, that is, us, home
with you. lilly is outside there now,
daddy, with the-the thousand you
paid for the mummy! Come, dad,
cut the rope, please dol"
And daddy cut the Chicago
Record-Herald.