The Spectator., 1915-11-05
FIRST INSTALLMENT
CHAPTER |.
The Cryptic Coin.

Taking her little collection of copy paper from the desk, with the privi- lege 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 at the trim figure of Kitty Gray mak- ing ready for her luncheon journey.
 "When will you deign to return?" asked he with a certain lapse in jour- nalistic dignity.
 When l have a better story than this guff-in the vernacular."
 Kitty's 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
  close to the glass. just tilted back so that 1t 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 frN hn ,nh- inc piv,tf hpn1 Dot across by the fracture which had di- vided the coin itself.
 Her curiosity excited, Kitty Gray stepped into the little shop. whose proprietor she knew very well.
 Good morning, MT. Mainz." she said with the customary newspaper in- version of the order of the day. "how's business? Any new fans. idols, coins-?"
 Coins? Vot? Sure. got someting new dot is olt. I choost tink of him. He iss only part of himselluf. Should show him to your"
 "Oh. maybe I saw it in the window" ]" said Kitty. simling. You mean the broken coin?"
 sure. Nalt LII got nm.
 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. halting. broken. incomplete? Did 1t hold Q story? What was the story?
 Its odd. isn't it?" said she. and laid it down again carelessly-witha a carelessness we'll feigned. for Kitty Gray had bought antiques before now, and knew we'll enough when to sup press interest.
 "Odt? l should say 1t vas odt." re- joined the old dealer. Kitty had picked was studiously examining that now.
 ''How much?" asked she, holding up the fan.
 For the broken coin?"
 NO. the fan"
 "I want twelf tollar for him."
 For the coin?"
 ''No, for the fan. For the coin-vat you gif me?"
 "Why. what earthly use would l have for broken piece of metal like that, MT. Mainz?"
 eff me for the fan eleven dollar, und l make you present Of the broken coin anyway"
 Kitty Gray's heart gave a sudden lit tie jump. She would have given twice eleven dollars for the coin itself. but she made a good pretense.
 "Eleven dollars is good deal of money" said she. 'I would have to go without lunch for quite while"
 "You are a goot sport. Miss Cray" said the old dealer. 'I dank you very mooch. I should wrap them up?"
 "The fan-yes. Let me see the coin again" She pushed across the counter almost the last of the tightly folded bills in her purse.
 "Read the inscription for me. and l knock of two tollars from the fam! said Mainz. "Vot is 1t? It Is not Cher man. it is not Franzoesisch. 1t is not English. am all those. But could not read him"
 Kitty held before her the curious object, Q slight frown puckering her brows.
 Well. you see." said she, 1t is broken right across on the right hand side--almost a third of the writing is gone. It says something about look. ing for something under the floor. un- der the pavement of some place of torture or torment"
 "und vot next?"
 'Thesaur'-that words broken across. but 1t must mean 'thesaurus' >--that means a collection--a 'collec- oion of value. don't you know?
 -The next line is one word; it's all there--Regis. she went on. That's plain. 'Rex'--'reEis' means Kings or of the king The kings treasures --Whats