Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-03-11

FITz ROY WAS GREATLY INTERESTED.
had occupied It till the neighborhood
was built up for commercial purposes,
when they left 1t for a more congenial
location. Now it was being eliminated
to make way for a structure more in
keeping with its surroundings.
Fitz Roy called a cab and drove to
the home Of his ancestors. Work had
been suspended on certain portion Of
the building, and there the foreman
led him. Removing material from
above, the workman had opened COM
partment about 2 by feet, supposed
to have originally been one Of those
large chimneys built in former times,
and exposed human head, or, rather,
skull. They had reported the find to
their boss, who ordered the work stop
ped and telephoned for the owner.
Fftz Roy was greatly Interested He
ordered the walls inclosing the space
lowered with every care. 1t widened
at the shoulders of the figure, assum-
ing the proportions of an old time fire.
place, the opening of which had been
inclosed by a sliding panel four feet
In height, the outer side of which had
been painted to represent oak. The
panel hung on a steel crosspiece and
was moved by a steel spring. A brick
wall had been built at the opening,
covering the panel.
What few hairs remained on the
skull were quite long, and around the
neck was a lace collar of the time of
Charles I. The costume was of that
period. In the fireplace were arms of
the same time, so that there was only
standing room for the figure. About
Its waist was buckled a rapier on the
blade of which were stains indicating
that 1t had been last sheathed with
blood on it.
The work Of demolition proceeded
slowly, Fitz Roy noting every particu-
lar. The least disturbance Of the skele-
ton caused parts of the clothing to fall
away. The lace collar crumbled first,
then the doublet The most surprising
feature in the case was-that. while the
costume was that of a cavalier of the
seventeenth century, the pelvis indicat-
ed the wearer to have been a woman.
When a sufficient opening had been
made to remove the figure without
shaking 1t apart F'itz Roy sent for a
casket and had the remains removed
to the family vault. There It was put
in one Of the vacant inches and mark
ed: Caroline Eleanor Fitz Roy. Disap.
peared 16-. Body found 49,"
The discovery of this skeleton forms
the complement of an unfinished story
indeed story the whole of which was
known only to Caroline Eleanor Fit
Roy herself. Leonard Fitz Roy was
familiar with all of it that was on rec
ord and. using such light as was
thrown on it by the discovery of ths
skeleton, completed a romance that had
been incomplete for between two and
three hundred years.
During the war between the king and
the parliament Fitz Roy house was tht
scene of exciting events. But a few
miles from London. its occupants were
interested and were cognizant of the
opposition of the lawmakers to the roy
al authority and were greatly incenset
at II.
This Caroline Eleanor Fitz Roy was
at that time beautiful girl about TWEEN
ty years old. noted equally for her at
tractive personality and her loyalty Il
the king. Many Of the young bloodi
of her time were in love with her. and
young Roundheads would doubles.
have been equally liable had she beer
accessible to them. There was onI
Roundhead. however. whom she had
long known. He was Richard Poin
dexter. the son of a gentleman who oil
account Of some injustice he conceived
the king had done him had Joined tn
parliamentary side. Richard up to tn
time he and his family had taken par
against the king was the favored on
Of all Caroline's suitors. Women ar
apt to be more violent in their advc
cacy Of a cause than men. and fror
the moment she learned that Richar
had turned Roundhead her love for hir
seemed to have turned to hate. Jus
before marching from London with hi
command to meet the forces Of Prime
Rupert he rode to Fitz Roy house