The Raymer enterprise., 1916-01-20
FIRST iNSTALl:MENT
CHAPTER I.
Tho Cryptic Coin.

It 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 a 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 max
ing ready for her luncheon journey.
when will you deign to return?"
asked he with a certain lapse In jour.
nalistic dignity.
when | 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 we're 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
to have noted In the window. II lay
close TO the glass. Just tilted back 80
that II might be the better seen. II
apparently was an olo coin or part
Of one, curiously done In some dark
metal, probably silver badly oxidized
As Kitty bent down to examine II
more closely. she saw that the coin
bore an inscription, or what appeared
to be such-an inscription broken
across by the fracture which had di.
yided 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
business7 Any new fans. idols,
coins-?"
"Coins7 yot! Sure. l got somet'lng
new dot Is olt choost tink OF him.
He lss only part of himsalluf. Should
show him to your"
"oh, maybe saw 1t in the window"
said Kitty, Smiling. You mean the
broken coin!"
Sure. Walt 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.
sage. halting. broken. incomplete?
Did 1t hold a story! What was the
story!
'It's odd. isn't IT." said she. and
laid 1t down again carelessly-with
carelessness well feigned. for Kitty
Gray had bought antiques before now.
and knew well enough when to sup
press interest.
"Odt' should say It vas odt." re-
Joined the old dealer. Kitty had picked
up an inlaid mother Of pearl fan and
was studiously examining that now.
How muchf" asked she. holding up
the fan.
For the broken coin!"
no the fan"
tztt o..
For the coinf"
mo. for the fan. For the coin-vat
you elf mea"
why. what earthly use would
have for a broken piece OF metal like
that, Mr.. Mainz7"
"Gif me for the fan eleven dollar,
und | make you a present OF the
broken coin anyway"
Kitty Gray's heart gave 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 Il would have To
60 without lunch for quite a while"
you are q goot sport, Miss Cray"
said the old dealer. Il dank you very
mooch. | should wrap them up7"
''The fan-yss. 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 III 1t is not Cher.
man. II is not Franzoesiseh, 1t is not
English. am all those. But | could
not read him"
Kitty held before her the curious
object. a slight frown puckering her
brows.
well. you see." said she. sit is
broken right across on the right hand
side-almost third of the writing is
gone. 1t 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 II must mean 'thesaurus'
that means q collection'-a 'collec-
zion Of value. don't you know!
THE next line II one word; its all
thefe-'Regis.'" she went on. That's
.lsSn tRavs-spa1ia,-tt naana skine'a'