The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1915-12-10


have everything in our own hands
now. have all the plans of the forti
fications, the maps of the avenues, the
specifications for each street crossing
1t would have been entirely simple fol
the army Of Grahofren to marcel
through this ramshackle city as II
liked"
"Yes!" broke In the deep voice
which haunted Kitty's memory, Il sup
pose so; but what would we do II
we could not pay our troops the next
day? How much better off than Gretz
hoffen would then be our own case
No, Frederick Is right in his main
plan. The throne alone Is worth moth
ing-it is worthless In his kingdom
or in our kingdom. or In any other
poverty-stricken kingship Is no busl-
ness for any man. Why have you not
q diagram OF the treasures burial
place-wlth that, now, the matter
would be somewhat different tonight. "
"Hush!" she heard the other voice
whisper. Apparently warned, at least,
by their suspicious, they moved away,
although Kitty shifted her own posi-
ton 80 that her presence was not
| known.
Was 1t Count Sachio's voice she had
heard-was he, the kings friend,
Count Frederick's friend, the worst
traitor Of all, and was he also plot
ting for the restoration of the two
lost bits of Gretzhoffen coin?
(which way should she turn now?
To Frederick? Impossible. To Nj.
chael? Equally impossible.
The two men whose talk she had
overheard passed now from behind
the pillar toward the interior Of the
palace. Apparently they were known
there and welcome, for surely they
were not stopped by any OF the kings
guards or chamberlains, and Kitty her
self, equally well identified, passed
readily just behind them.
Kitty needed but one glance at the
man she trailed to see 1t was indeed
Count Sachio whose voice she heard.
The men passed now to a little
room at one side OF the main hall,
which traversed that portion of
the palace. A window and a door,
both lightly curtained, opened from
the hall within. Kitty, as she drew
up, could see them now-Sachio, and
one whose identity she did not know
Listen now" she heard Count
Sachio's voice boom out, since here
they felt themselves quite safe from
intrusion; listen, while tell you
what is the real key to all these mat
ters. 1t Is this document, bearing on
the missing treasure Of old King
Michael. He died rich, but like
miser. he hid his gold He left
clue, yes-I have told you all OF that.
That clue was the broken coin.
That coin was the same as a deed
in the old days. All transfers of realty,
as you remember, were made on
parchment, written in pen, and the
parchment always was cut In two
pieces on waving line. The seller
kept half the parchment, the buyer the
other half. And always It ran This
indenture witnesseth.' The indenture'
was the waving line which divided the
parchment; and the parchment was
proof of the transaction, so each hold
er held half the proof.
Now. this indenture of the broken
coin OF Gretzhoffen witnessed that
Michael the First had transferred to
his people his treasure-their treas
ure-he kept half the deed for him
SELF or for the man who was to stand
for himself In some way he meant
to give the people the other half-that
is to say, the other half of the inden-
ture went somewhere, no one to this
day can guess where-except myself!
These papers of old told of the tor.
ture chamber somewhere under the
fort Our maps cover that, but they
dc not mark the spot of the treasures
hiding. Only the old coin restored, in.
denture to indenture-the onehalf to
the other-ever can settle that
Now, look here, my friend" Count
Sachio held up before him little OBJ.
ject, which caused Kitty to start
where she stood;
1t was the kings coin! Yes, there
was the half coin which she with her
own hands had sent for delivery to
the king on the dancing floor at mid.
night that highland Count Sachio.
by means which he only knew, had
been the thief! 1t now was plain to
her Here was one more claimant for
the treasure of the dead king of Gretz.
hoffen.
Count Sachio went on. This is one
half only of the coin. Alone, 1t does
not serve. | know well enough where
lies the other half. Within the next
twenty-four hours | will have It'll will
have both halves within my own
hands Then, my friend, we shall see
what we shall see! Events will happen
which will surprise this part of the
world, at least.
Come to me tomorrow at my hunt.
ing lodge in the forest, at the edge OF