West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1909-06-24


peared to be solid. even upon the
closest inspection.
The hinges OF the lid were ingen-
fously concealed. The line between
the two parts was invisible. and the
hidden lock was operated by secret
springs most cunningly devised. Nat
uraily so strange an object was the
centerpiece OF many queer stories,
which were collected by one Of the
Olmsteads about sixty years ago and
set down by him I'm manuscript I'm a
leather bound book originally intended
to be ledger. At the end OF the book
is a very difficult cipher which con.
talns the directions for opening the
casket.
But for this cipher the secret would
have passed out OF the world. A few
months ago. when the present head
or the family. Mr.. Stephen Olmstead.
stumbled upon the old book OF tradi-
tions. the casket itself had been for.
gotten
Stephen olmstead found the casket
in sort of vault In the wall of the
country house which his father built
IN Marchmont twenty years ago. and.
having solved the cipher after pro-
tracted struggle which nearly wreck
ed his intellect (as he Informed mel.
he opened the ebony box and was dis.
appointed because there was nothing
10 It, He had no reason to expect any
discovery OF treasure. but he Is not
the sort OF man to he Indifferent TO
the possibility.
he was engaged to Mrs. Clara Hol-
ton, rich and charming widow. with
a. country house near the Olmstead
place. Mrs. Holton's lack OF euthu-
siasm for jewels is conspicuous. She
has never been known to wear an
expensive ornament. Nevertheless
Olmstead had no sooner found the
casket than he was possessed with
the Idea OF buying something rare and
precious to put into It. ostenslbly as a
wedding gift.
Accordingly he appeared at his
MnrchmOnt home one evening with
a dazzling diamond piece Of historical
as well as intrinsic value, n stomacher
that had once been worn by titled
lady OF the old world. Miss Sylvia
Olmstead. sister Of Stephen. ridiculed
this purchase when the gewgaw was
displayed to her and told Stephen TINT
Clara Holton would divorce him rath-
er than wear It.
Shell like the casket." said Sylvia.
ITS quite In her line. How do you
open itf"
The diamonds were already within
and the I'D closed.
Couldn't tell you" said Stephen.
He put the casket away in the vault
and locked the door. Immediately
after this they heard some one on the
veranda. Just outside the windows OF
the library where the conversation
which have tried to reproduce
from their recollection Of Il occurred.
Both supposed that the person on the
veranda was George McRelIar, a neigh.
Dor. and that he was coming to call
on Sylvia.
Neither Olmstead nor his sister spoke
Of hearing the footsteps, for McKelIai
was n delicate subject with them.
Olmstead opposed him as a sultor fof
sylvia's hand on the ground that he
was not financially sound. McKelIaf
had inherited from his father busi.
ness In rather bad tangle, and ne
was having hard struggle with II.
They waited for McRellar to be an.
nounced. and one OF them was disap.
pointed. while the other was agreeably
surprised. Half an hour later Ne
kellar called Sylvia by telephone and
told her that he was occupied with
business affairs.
IT may have been about O'Clock