The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1915-09-02
FIRST lNSTALLMENT
CHAPTER l.
The Cryptic Coin.

WRITER the IaSL sheet or paper ana pied
1t on the little heap of finished copy
(which lay at her right. Then she
closed her desk, stepped to the ward
robe and took her coat and hat.
(; 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
lat the trim figure of Kitty Gray max
ling ready for her luncheon journey.
7; when will you deign to return?"
asked he with q certain lapse in jour.
nalistic dignity.
: when l have better story than
this guff-in the vernacular."
| Kitty's favorite lunching place was
in one of the great department stores.
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
:untmportant side streets.
! Kitty Gray's eyes we're 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
ito 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
aversion of the order of the day, "how's
business? Any new fans, idols,
:coins-?"
Coins? Vot? Sure. l got something
NEW dot is olt. l choost t'ink of him.
He ISIS only part of himselluf. Should
Il show him to you?"
"Oh, maybe saw 1t in the window"
said Kitty, Smiling. "You mean the
broken CONT"
Sure. Wait till l got him"
She took up the coin now from the
case, and some strange sort of thrill
|came over her as she did 30, she
could not tell why. What was its mes
sage, hating, broken, incomplete?
Did It hold q story? What was the
story!
TITS odd. isn't IT." said she, and
|laid It down again carelessly-with a
!eA1eaessness well feisned, for Kitty
Gray had bought antiques before now,
and knew well enough when to sup
press interest.
"Odt? I should say It vas odt," re-
Joined the old dealer. Kitty had picked
mp IN inlaid mother Of pearl fan and
was studiously examining that now.
How much?" asked she, holding up
he fan.
For the broken coin?"
mo, the fam"
II want twelf tollar for him."
For the coin?"
mo. for the fan. For the coin-vat
you gif me?"
why, what earthly use would
have for broken piece of metal like
that, Mr.. Mainz?"
"Gif me for the fan eleven dollar.
und l make you a 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 good pretense.
Eleven dollars is a good deal of
money" said she. II would have to
60 without lunch for quite WHILE"
"You are goot sport, Miss Cray"
said the old dealer 81 dank you very
mooch. / 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
knock OF two tollars from the FAM"
said Mainz. "Vot is it! 1t is not Cher
man, It is not Franxoesisch, 1t is not
English. am all those. But I could
not read him"
Kitty held before her the curious
object, . slight frown pickering her
brows.
well. you see," said she, 1T is
broken right across on the right hand
side-almoet q third of the writing 10
gone. It says something about look
ng for something under the floor, un-
der the pavement Of some place Of
torture or torment"
"Und vot next?"
Thesaur'-that words broken
.cross. but 4 must mean 'thesaurus'
that means a collection 'collec-
Ion of value don't you know?
The next line is one word; it's all
here-'Regis.' she went ON. That's
,lain. 'Rex-'regis-it means kings
r of the king The kings treasures
what?