The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-04-27
This y one of The Times
Novel Week
series.
II will be finished in six
big installments.
{ Continued from our last issue.)
CHAPTER VII.
The Half BurnedI,etter.


It was some Is minutes lates
when M. Dumas drew q deep
breath of the cool. life-giving air
and turned to the girl beside him.
4 She was still unconscious. but
after time her breathing became
deeper and more regular. Then
her eyelids fluttered - her eyes
opened and she gave great,
shuddering sigh.
| Dumas drew back with an ex-
clamation of Joy. He saw that the
worst was over. Lifting her in his
arms, he placed her on the couch.
She was now beyond any danger.
His first step was to make a
thorough search of the several
rooms. in the hope that there
might remain In them some clue
which would serve to definitely
connect the so-called Charles Yer
non with Hartmann, the rheu-
matte passenger of the Richelieu
| His search of the apartment re-
suited in nothing. He was about
to give up In disgust, whom
glancing by chance at the charred
letter on the hearth, he saw II
had not been entirely consumed.
/ One side of the sheet had been
burned completely away; the 9TH
err, side, although too charred and
brittle to be lifted from its posi-
ton. still showed clearing upon
1t the marks of handwriting.
i Dumas examined the bit Of pa
per carefully. He called gently
to Mile. Mercier and asked her II
4 she now felt sufficiently recover
ed to come and look at the hand
writing.
| The girl rose slowly from the
couch and crossed the room.
!, The letter was in French. The
girl stared at 1t and look Of sad
ness crossed her face. 1T is my
fathers handwriting" she said
What does 1t mean?"
ut mans" remarked Dumas
slowly, that this is the real let
ter that your father wrote to you
on his death bed. II means that
the man who left here a short
time ago is not Charles Vernon
as he calls himself. but Hartfann,
the murderer OF George Vernon
and OF Reinhardt, the doctor. And
fear it also MEANS" he conclud-
ed sorrowfully, that whatever
was in that letter is lost to us
forever"
Can you read 1t at all?" Mile.
MERCER asked, as she gazed long
ingly at the charred and crum-
bling letter. II would be SO hap
py to know what my fathers dy-
Ing message was"
Il Dumas took bit of paper
from the desk and, kneeling down
before the fireplace, proceeded to
make a copy of such parts and
words of the letter as were still
egible.
II After time he rose and placed
the result of his labors on the
table. This is all that | can make
out" he said. II fear 1t will be
scarcely ineligible"
She bent over the copy which
he had made. The fragment
translated, was as follows:
My Beloved Daughter:
l am sending
piece. II Is my legacy
When you get it, take
1t into the eye
will then be thrown on
the coin. Pull
stand why have
great fortune. I dis
of the coin, while cIea
deathbed. Il Is the
Napoleon. Use your for
child, and do
poor. ] embrace Y
you my love and thou
kisses.
Your loving Father,
: ALPHONSE NERO
1T seems very clear, made
, moiselle," Dumas said presently
that this letter refers to a great
: fortune which the one-franc piece
was to enable you to obtain. What
this fortune is, and how to secure
it, is undoubtedly known to Hart.
mann and his companion"
But l do not understand, said
Mile. MERCER, how, since these
men once had the coin in theil
possession, they ever lost II
again"