The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-08-07
FIRST INSTALLMENT
CHAPTER !.
Tho Cryptic Coin.

robe and took her coat and hat
Taking her little collection OF copy
,naper from the desk, with the privi-
ege Of long tenure In Office she walked
to the desk OF the city editor. who, al
though himself married man, had all
this time without success tried to
look at the work before him and not
ut the trim figure OF Kitty Gray max
ing ready for her luncheon journey.
when will you deIgn to return?"
asked he with Q certain lapse in Jour
nalistic dignity.
when I have better story than
this guf-in the vernacular."
Kittys favorite lunching place was
In one Of the great department stores.
where women were made welcome and
comfortable. and she bent thither her
steps; but midway in her journey she
paused, as often she did. to gaze into
the window OF the little antique shop
which occupied space in one OF the
unimportant side streets.
Kitty Gray's eyes were arrested by
something that she saw-an object
which she did not recall ever before
to have noted in the window. It lay
close to the glass. Just tilted back SO
that It might be the better seen. It
apparently was an ola coin or part
Of one, curiously done in some dark
metal, probably silver badly oxidized.
As Kitty bent down to examine it
more closely. she saw that the coin
bore an inscription. or what appeared
to be such-an inscription broken
across by the fracture which had d.
vided the coin itself
Her curiosity excited. Kitty Gray
stepped into the little shop. whose
proprietor she knew very we'll.
Good morning, Mr.. Mainz." she said
with the customary newspaper in
version Of the order Of the day. "how's
business? Any new fans. idols,
coins-?"
"Cotns9 vot? Sure. got something
new dot is oft choost t'ink OF him.
He iss only a part of himselluf. Should
I show him to your"
"oh, maybe saw It IN the window. .,
said Kitty, Smiling. You mean the,
broken coIn?"
Sure. Wait till got him" :
She took up the coin now from the
case, and some strange sort Of thrill
came over her as she did so, she
could not tell why. What was its mes
sage, hating. broken. Incomplete
Did it hold a story? What was the
story?
TITS odd, isn't IT," said she, and
laid 1t down again carelessly-with. a
carelessness we'll feigned. for Kitty
Gray had bought antiques before now.
and knew well enough when to Mp-
press interest.
"odt? / should say It vas odt."tre-
Joined the OH dealer. Kitty had picked
up an inlaid mother Of pearl fan and
was studiously examining that now.
How much?" asked she. holdiDs,up
the fan.
For the broken coin?"
mo. the fan"
AZ want twelf tollar for him"
"For the coin?"
mo, for the fan. For the coin--vat
you gif me?"
why, what earthly use would I
have for broken piece Of metalslike
that. Mr.. Mainz?"
"Gif me for the fan eleven dollar.
und / make you present on the
broken coin anyway"
Kitty Gray's heart gave a sudden lit
tie jump. She would have giveutwice
eleven dollars for the coin itsen, but
she made q good pretense.
Eleven dollars is good ideal OF
money" said she. u would have to
90 without lunch for quite a while"
"You are a goot sport. Miss Cray.
said the old dealer. Il dank you very
nooch. should wrap them up"
1.-THE fan-yes. Let me seeithe coin
again" She pushed across the'counter
almost the last Of the tightly folded
bills in her purse.
Read the Inscription for one, and I
knock OF two tollars from the fan I"
said MaInz. 'vot is It? 1t isInot Cher.
man. 1t is not Franzoesisch, It is not
English. l am all those. Bat l could
not read him"
Kitty held before her the curious
object, a slight frown pucaHering her
brows.
"well. you see" said she. 1T is
broken right across on the1 right hand
side-almost third Of the. writing is
gone. It says something Eabout look
ing for something under the door. un'
der the pavement OF sone place OF
torture or torment"
"Und vot next"
"'Thesaur-that words broken
across. but It must meap 'thesaurus'
that means a collectid ma 'collec'
don Of value don't YOU know?
"The next line is one word; its all
theTe-ReSis.'" she went on. That's
plain. observation-disclosures kings
or of the king The kings treasures
what?
'T'm down to the lasti words now. It
d CURIOUS proper name. 1t is only
the Latin name Of the kingdom OF
GretzhoRen! That's Elittle bankrupt
Kingdom over in southern Europe near