The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1916-10-31
The Peruvian Dagger


There's something weird and mys-
terious about the robbery, Kennedy.
They took the very thing I treasure
most of all, an ancient Peruvian dag
GER
Professor Allan Norton was very
much excited as he dropped into
Craig's laboratory early that forenoon.
Norton. may say, was one Of the
younger members of the faculty, like
Kennedy. Already, however, he had
made for himself a place as one OF
the foremost Of South American ex-
plorers and archaeologists.
How they got into the South AM
erican section of the Museum. though.
| don't understand" he hurried on.
But. once in. that they should take
the most valuable relic brought back
with me on this last expedition, I
think certainly shows that 1t was q
robbery with deep-laid, premeditated
purpose"
Nothing else is gomez" queried
Kennedy.
Nothing" returned the professor
That's the strangest part of ito me-
1t was peculiar dagger, too" he con-
tinued reminiscently. II say that it
was valuable. for on the blade were
engraved some curious Inca charac-
tiers. wasn't able to take the time to
decipher them, down there, for the
age Of the metal made them almost il
legible. But now that have all my
stuff unpacked and arranged after my
trip, I was just about to try-when
along comes a thief and robs me.
We can't have the University Museum
broken into that way, you know. Ken.
nedy."
II should say not" readily assented
Craig. I'D like to look the place
over"
Just what I wanted" exclaimed
Norton. heartily delighted, and lead
ing the way.
We walked across the campus with
him ITO the Museum, still chatting.
Norton was tall, spare man, wiry,
precisely the type one would pick to
make an explorer in tropical eli
mate. His features were sharp, sug-
costing a clear and penetrating mind
and disposition to make the most OF
everything, no matter how slight. In
deed that had been his history,
knew. He had come to college
couple of years before Kennedy and
myself, almost penniless, and had
worked his way through by doing
everything from waiting on table to
tutoring. Today he stood forth as a
shining example of self-made intel
lectual man, as cultured as il he had
sprung from race OF scholars, as
practical as If he had taken to mills
rather than museums.
We entered handsome white-mar-
BILE building in the shape of a rect
angle, facing the University Library,
building, by the way, which Norton
had persuaded several wealthy trus-
tees and other donors to erect Ken
needy at once.began examining the sec
ton devoted to Latin America, going
over everything very carefully.
looked about zoo. There were
treasures from Mexico and Peru. from
every romantic bit of the wonderful
countries south of us-blocks of por-
phyry with quaint grecques and hero
glyphic painting from Militia, copper
axes and pottery from Cuzo, sculp-
tured stones and mosaics. jugs, cups,
vases, little gods and great, sacri-
fetal stones, treasure house of Aztec
and Inca lore-enough to keep one
occupied for hours merely to look at
Yet, reflected. following Norton, in
all this mass Of material, the thief
seemed to have selected one, appar-
emily insignificant. dagger, the thing
which Norton priced because, some
how, it bore on its blade something
which he had not, as yet, been able
to fathom.
Though Kennedy looked thoroughly
and patiently, it seemed as though
there was nothing there to tell any
story of the robbery, and he turned
his attention at last to other parts OF
the Museum AS he made his way
about slowly, noted that he was look
ing particularly into corners, behind