The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-03-22

Hau peEult
In fact the broad marble top was
on the floor and the room full OF i'm
palable dust. The admiral and the
secretary were gravely stacking the
bricks. one by one. as they came out
Found anything" asked the girl
breathlessly.
Not yet; but Mr.. Donovan here
has just discovered a hollow space
above the maptel line" The admiral
sneezed.
Mr.. Donovan, in his usual free and
happy way, drew out two bricks, and
dropped them on the polished floor.
There's your holler, sir" he said.
busting his hands.
unbidden. Breitmann pushed his
hand into the cavity. His arm went
down to the elbow, and he was forced
to stand on tiptoe. He was pale when
he withdrew his arm, but in his hand
was a square metal case, about the
size and shape of a cigar box
by cracky, What's the matter,
MIR. Breitmann? The admiral step
ped forward soliciously.
Breitmann swayed. and fell against
the side of the fireplace. 1T is moth
ing; lost my balance for a moment
| VIII you open it, sir?"
Lost his balance?" muttered Fitz-
I gerald. HE looks groggy. Why7'
This was not a. time for speculation
All rushed after the admiral. who laid
| the case on his desk, and took out his
| keys. None of them would turn ir
the ancient lock With an impatient
| gesture. which escaped the others
| the secretary seized Mr. DonoVan's
| hammer inserted the claw between
| the lock and the catch, and gave a
! powerful wrench. The lid fell back
crpoked and SCARED.
The admiral put on his Mandarin
| spectacles. With his hands behind
his back, he bent and critically ex-
amined the contents. Then, very
! carefully. he extracted packet OF
papers, yellow and old, bound with
heavy eording. Beneath this packet
was a medal of the Legion of Honor,
| some rose leaves, and a small glove
Know what I think ?" said the adj
miral, sitting the shake in his voice
! This belonged to that mysterious
! Frenchman who lived here eighty
years ago. III wager that medal cost
| some blood. BY crack, what find, I"
and the poor little glove and the
| rose leaves" murmured the girl. in
| pity. 1t seems like a crime to dis
turb Them
We shan't my child. Our mid
night friend wasn't digging yonder for
! faded keepsakes. These papers are
the things" The admiral cut the
/ string, and opened one OF the doou-
ments. Hin! Written in French
! So is this" looking at another, land
! this. Here, Laura. cast your eye
over these. and tell lis why some one
was hunting for them
! Fitzgerald eyed Breitmann thought
f.tllx tu.In -
man had changed. Indeed, it resem.
| BLEED another face he had seen some
where; and 1t grew In his mind, slow
| ly but surely, as dawn grows, that
| Breitmann was not wholly ignorant in
| this affair. He had not known who
| had been working at night: but that
| dizziness of the moment gone, the
haste in opening the case. the eager
ness OF the search last night; all these
| to Fitzgerald's mind, pointed to one
| thing: Breitmann knew.
| Il shall watch him"
Laura read the documents to her
self flrst. Here and there was a word
| which confused her; but she gathered
! the fun sense of the remarkable story,
| Her eyes shone like winter stars.
Father she cried. dropping the
papers. and spreading out her arms
Father. it's the greatest thing in the
| world. A treasured
whats that, Laura?" straining his
ears.
"A treasure, hidden by the soldiers
OF Napoleon. put together, franc by
franc, in the hope of some day
rescuing the emperor from st. Helena.
1t is romancei A real treasure OF two
millions of francs" clapping her
hands.
''Where?" 1t was Breitmann who
spoke. His voice was not clear.
"Corsica!'
"Corsica," The admiral laughed
nose all these years. and he cruising
all over the chart. Laura, dear,
there's no reason in the world why we
shouldn't take the yacht and go and
dig up this pretty sum-"
mo reason In the world" But the
secretary did not pronounce these
words aloud.
"A telegram for you, sir said the
butler, handing the yellow envelope
to Fitzgerald.
"Will you pardon me-" he said
drawing off to window.
Go ahead" said the admiral. fin
gering the medal OF the Legion of
Honor.
Fitzgerald read
Have made inquiries. Your man
never applied to any OF the metro
politan daiiies. Few ever heard OF
him"
He jammed the message into a
about the case. Where should he be-
GIN? Breitmann had He'd.
lTo be continued.l