The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1909-11-25
THE SPIDER CASKET.

The ice was rs confines, and I put
down Ira, telling the waiter to keep
the change. He swept it off the table
with "Grazia, signor!" and FASTENED
away after another order. He could
hardly have guessed that he had just
pocketed my last cent-even | found it a
little difficult to realize. The band was
playing in the middle of the plaza
Margarita was the air, and they went
at it with swing and dash that brought
all the iders about the tables singing
into the chorus:
"Margari,
Eperzo Salvatore!
Margari,
Ma Pommo cacciatorev'
Of course, I had telegraphed for
money, but l had notion that the odds
were pretty long against its coming.
The governors patience was about ex-
hausted. and he had taken nasty line
in his last letter. Something about get
ting tired OF earning money for me to
dump into the race tracks and gambling
resorts of Europe.
More and more people gathered about
the tables until there was hardly an
empty place. Native Venetians, voluble
and gesticulating. A Turk, in loose, IL
fitting clothes, came up to my table.
MAY I sit here, signor," he asked
humbly.
1 nodded my head, and he settled
down in a chair, wriggling about until
he was comfortable, like dog in the
grass. He ordered a cup of coffee, and
sat slipping it in silence. We must have
made a strange looking pair. l watched
him lazily, for lack of better amusement,
and noticed that he had something hid
den under his coat. Once I caught a
glimpse of apparently a small silver
casket Enthusiastically carved and chased.
The Turk became aware that | was
watching him and seemed unnecessarily
disturbed, drawing his coat more closely
about the casket and looking at me with
furtive questioning glances. / paid no
further attention to him, and sat back
listening to the music The Turk fin
ished his coffee, disputed cringingly with
the waiter over the price, and walked
slowly away, avoiding the crowd as if
he feared to be jostled.
A tantalizing craving for a certain
liqueur seized me, and I was meditating
on the chances of ordering it and slip
ping away without paying when CLINT
of something bright on the ground
caught my eye. I stopped, and picked
up small silver key, very complicated
in design, one end worked into a with
ing spider. L was balancing the key in
my hand, trying to estimate its value,
when | saw the Turk hurrying across
the square.
''Signor," he said, shave you seen a
small silver key with a spider
"And if 1 had," said slowly, wonder
ing how the matter could be handled to
my advantage, show would I know that
it belonged to your"
"Signor, / am a poor man. I can pay
little,'' he whined
'On the other hand" / continued, 81
am desperately in need of money. Per-
haps we can strike bargain. You Of
fer"
Twenty lire?"
I laughed.
"a hundred?"
1 smiled.
1.-TWO hundred?"
Soon it was 500. At last. the Turk
reached 1000 lire; and still / refused.
Il can give 10 MORE" whined the
Turk. ct is all the money I have"
ut is too ittle,'' persisted
He gave me an imploring glance, and
then leaned across the table.
"Signor," he whispered, ''the casket
which. you saw. of which you have the
key, it is the jewel casket of Beirut
Pasha. How | come by it is no matter,
but it contains gems to the value of over
100000 Ira. [ must have the key"
sWhy don't you force the lock?"
asked curiously.
"Ah, signor, you do not understand.
The jewels take but little space-only
tray on the top-and all the rest of
the caske. is filed with some terrible
explosive, guncotton, | think. Only with
the key one may open it safely. Fore
ing the lock would fire small cap,
and"
Il see." could not help smiling at
the mans woebegone face Rather an
uncomfortable thing to steal"
But with the key there is no danger"
My-well, greed is not pretty word,
let us say-expectation was so much
aroused that l would listen to no pro-
posal except full half of the booty
In the end he agreed and at my dicta-
tion reluctantly paid for the coffee and
liquor.
ITO the Britannia ?" he whined as I
started for the landing stage
At the steps of the hotel the porter
came running down the steps to meet
us. l fastened through the corridors,
ignoring the curious chances cast at the
Turk who skunk along at my heels. Once
in my room my hand trembled so that
| wasted three matches in lighting a
candle. The Turk brought out the
casket from under his coat, and it's sill
yer cleaned duly in the feeble light,
until the carven images wrought on the
sides seemed to take on life and move
ment in the wavering reflections. On
the summit was perched another hideous
spider like that which ornamented the
key, save that the eyes were formed by
two bright green stones.
"The key! Where is the key?" whis-
pered the Turk hoarsely.
/ fitted the key to the lock-a creak,
and the lid flew back. The Turk lifted
the casket to the light, brushing the
candle with his sleeve so that it flared
up and shone on the velvet lined tray.
1t was no sheen Of gems that we saw
there was not jewel in the tray-but
from one corner, where shadow fell,
a huge black spider with hairy legs
writhed over the edge, and crawled on
terically, and let the casket fall crash
ing to the ground For the fraction of
a second saw him trying to shake the