Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1915-07-06
FIRST INSTALLMENT
CHAPTER |.
The Cryptic Coin.

Kitty Gray, crack reporter on the
Evening Star, pulled out of her type
writer the last sheet of paper and piled
L 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-
hge of long tenure in Office she walked
To the desk of the city editor, who, al
though himself married man, had all
mis- time without success tried to
box at the work before him and not
ri the trim figure of Kitty Gray max
lag ready for her luncheon journey.
when will you deign to return?"
asked he with a certain lapse in jour
lalistic dignity.
When / have a better story than
This guff-in the vernacular."
Kitty's fayorite lunching place was
10 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
Hnimportant side streets
Kitty Gray's eyes were arrested by
something that she saw-an object
which she did not recall ever before
b have noted in the window. 1t lay
close to the glass, just tilted back so
that it might be the better seen. 1t
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
scross by the fracture which had di-
Eided the coin itself
Her curiosity excited, Kitty Gray
stepped into the little shop, whose
proprietor she knew very well.
Good morning, Mr. Mainz," she said
With the customary newspaper in
version of the order of the day, ''how's
business? Amy new fans, idols.
gDins-?"
Coins? Vot? Sure. got something
new dot is olt. | choost tink of him.
He iss only part of himselluf. Should
1 show him to your"
-Oh, maybe l saw it in the window"
Eaid Kitty, Smiling. You mean the
troken eoin?"
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
age, hating. broken. incomplete?
did it hold a story? What was the
Eory?
Its odd, isn't it?" said she, and
laid it down again carelessly-with
earelessness well feigned. for Kitty
Gray had bought antiques before now,
aud knew well enough when to sup
PRESS interest.
"Odt? l should say it vas odt,'' re-
joined the old dealer. Kitty had picked
up an inlaid mother of pearl fan and
vas studiously examining that now.
How much?" asked she, holding up
TIE fan.
For the broken coin?"
mo, the fan"
Il want twelf tollar for him"
For the coin?"
mo, for the fan. For the coin-vat
gou gif me?"
why, what earthly use would l
have for broken piece of metal like
that, Mr.. Mainz?"
elf me for the fan eleven dollar.
and l make you present of the
broken coin anyway"
Kitty Gray's heart gave a sudden lit
gIe jump. She would have given twice
eley en- dollars for the coin itself, but
abe made a good pretense.
Eleven dollars is a good deal of
money" said she. Il would have to
go without lunch for quite while"
You are a goot sport, Miss Cray"
said the old dealer. 81 dank you very
mooch. l 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 off two tollars from the FAM"
said Mainz. "Vot is it? 1t is not Cher
man, It is not Franzoesisch, it is not
English. | am all those. But l could
not read him"
Kitty held before her the curious
object. a slight frown puckering her
Arows
We'll, you see," said she, at is
broken right across on the right hand
Side-almost a third of the writing is
gone 1t says something about look
ing for something under the floor, I'M
der the pavement of some place of
torture or torment"
"Und vot next?"
'Thesaur'-that words broken
across. but it must mean 'thesaurus'
that means a collection 'collec-
ton of value don't you know?
The next line is one word; it's all
there-'Regis,' she went on. That's
plain. fRex'-'regis'-it means kings
OF of the king The kings treasures
what?