The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1913-05-17

from him the wonderful casket. He
has thoroughly -reconnoitcred the
ground. He knows that this bedcham-
Der of the doge looks out ON a court.
which. in the dead Of night will surely
be quite deserted. And so, with a coil
Of rope about his waist and a dagger
beneath his blouse, he keeps the APP
pointment.
Hardly has the cautious doge drawn
the bolts after him. before the dagger
Of the mad goldsmith has done its
dread work. The rope is uncurIed in
the twinkling Of an eye. 1t is lowered
over the balcony, and to it are attached
the casket and its precious contents.
Below waits the confederate"
And this confcderate?' I asked
breathlessly.
again the dagger is lifted" con
tinued st. Hilary. ignoring my ques-
ton. This time it is against himself.
1t Is worth a little pain. this glorious
plumber.
"And so his plan succeeds. The jew
els are his. After a few short weeks
he will enjoy the reward of his cum
ming.
But. unfortunately, suspicion is
aroused in the doge's breast when he
returns to the room. For the old
man, as we know, was not so guileless
a fool as the jeweler thought him.
Thief or no thief, Da Sestos is impris-
oned-at first in a dungeon, with tor
lures, then In his own house. He could
stand the fortunes. He could endure
the awful heat and thirst under the
leads of the ducal palace. But slowly
came the knowledge, the certainty.
that he was imprisoned, not for a
month, a year, but for a lifetime. The
vengeance of the doge was im~placable.
Then IL he must perish was the
secret of the casket to be sealed on his
lips forever? The egotism Of the mad
man made that thought intolerable.
Then must he confess? Is his enemy
to triumph at last? That thought was
equally impossible. But before he dies
he will indeed tell where the casket Is
hidden. Even after his death the Sc
cret shall be told. 1t shall be told dali
ly, hourly, but so c~unningly that,
though all the world listen. 1t shall not
understand"
But the confederater' I interrupted
again.
at was his son, Of course. He knew.
He had helped to make the casket.
He had helped to purloin it, and he 1t
was who had hidden 1t. But not even
to his faithful son would the mad
jeweler leave the jewels. His cunning
plan had become infinitely dear to him,
and because this son knew he must be
sacrificed. So that after he had work
ed side by side with his father on the
clock and had returned from his last
errand in summoning the doge 1t was
only to meet death at last, for we a
not doubt that the father poisoned his
son as we'll as himself. And so the
hiding place of the casket and the
Jewels is hidden in the clock, for no
man to guess unless he be such a man
as Da Sestos-one who has something
of the very madness of desire and cum
ming that possessed the goldsmith"
He sat in my armchair, huddled up.
his face very pale and haggard in the
dim candlelight. But his eyes were
burning like those of the jeweler, Clio
vanni. Then he reused himself and
began to walk slowly about the. room.
At last, In the most commonplace tone
in the world, he asked:
do you know anything Of automs-
ton clocks"
"That, I take It," I said. lighting my
cigar, which had repeatedly gone out.
as apropos of our clock. At every
hour, as old Luigi said, 1t tells its
secret"
"That is it," replied st. Hilary. and
when you and l. Hume. shall have
mastered those twelve secrets we shall
know where our jewels are hidden.
And now have you still curiosity to
know whether this is a legend or a
fact?"
"Yes."
Then you will help me to look
for it?'
"Yes."
Good. We may fall" He looked
at me keenly.
"Of course"
81 like your monosyllables. l believe
you are really in earnest"
Eyes: I am in earnest"
"Good again. Then we pool our in
t~erests. If we are successful we share
alike. Is that fair?"
ut is more than fair"
That's settled then. And now let
us have q look at your clock"
"Marruchi. the clockmaker on the
piazzi. has it. left it with him to
see If it could be repaired"
He settled himself in the armchair
and pulled a rug over his knees.
"Marruchi, my boy. will be able to
do nothing with it. 1t is a job above
his caliber. And now to sleep. to
sleep. You and | have a long journey
aboaI Of ne Tomorrow"