The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1916-04-29

| my walHtcoat pocket"
He slipped his fingers beneath
his coat and drew out the long.
sought coin lie handed the coin
10 Mile. MERCER.
The girl gazed helplessly at n
Lefevre drew from his pocke, .
piece OF paper. You viii remer,.
Der. mademoiselle." he said. cha,
when we searched Mr.. vernon's
ter which your father had sent You
along with the coin"
Mile. MERCER nodded, He nassss
tho letter 10 the young woman. m
you will read II now" be sa,d
you VIII. perhaps. understand
Mile. MERCER read the letter.
which was as follows:
Ny BELOVED DAUGHTER;
am sendins-you u one franc
piece II IL my issaey-for your futsys.
! when you get ~ take pin and uress
u into the sye-of Napoieoa. A ls,e,
VII then be thrown out NJ one side a.
the coin. Puii--tbis. and you viii undo.
stand why hays-seBt II. II is
xfssi fortuna ] dis-eoveyed the ssers1
o. ~. coin While oiss>-ninr II On mn
e.sthosd. II 10 ths-fsmous franc Of
Napolson. Use your for--tuns we'll. ~,
child. ana co-not forset the
poor smbraes y-ou and sspd
you my love and . thou-sand
kihsss
Your loving father,
ALPHoEsE MERc-IEH.
y am afraid" remarked the girl
helplessly. ss she passed the letter
70 The others TO read, that I am
as much In the dark as before"
Lefevre rose and stepped toward
Mr.. Germaine's desk. "wiIl YOU
be 30 good az 10 give me q pinr'
he said.
The managing director took ore
from a bowl on the desk and hand
ed II TO the project, who then ASH.
ed Mile. MERCER for the franc.
piece.
discovered a half-burned piece OF
paper. which proved TO be the let.
apartment that terrible night we
He held the coin in the palm OF
his left hand. while the Others
crowded about eagerly. Inserting
the pin In the eye OF the face OF
Napoleon which was stamped upou
the coin. he pressed II sharply. At
once tiny lever like those some
times found on watches, for set.
ting them, sprung out from one
side.
Tho project took this between
bis fingers and gave a gentle pull.
Immediately a section OF the miIled
edge OF the coin turned outward,
revealing tiny fiat cavity within.
OF no greater thickness than the
blade OF knife. In this cavity Law
what appeared TO be q bit OF soiled
tissue paper.
With trembling fingers Lefevrs
drew out the scrap OF paper and
unfolded IL The project glanced
at the engraving which covered IT.
surface. smiled. then handed II
TO the young French girl. Here IL
your fortune. mademoiselie," he
said.
She looked at II, assonished.
What Is III" she asked uncer.
tainiy.
"A bank note of the French EN-.
pire." he replied. for the sum OF
1000. 900 francs"
II took the little party several
minutes to fully comprehend the i'm
portance Of the scrap OF paper
which lay before them. At last Mr..
Morris spoke.
1T seems TO be genuine enough
he said. but how the devil aid Il
get there. inside that coin. and
why?"
The project smiled. Il win tell
you" he said. Il learned the his
tory OF the coin while In Paris last
week.
During the early period OF the
Emperor Napoleon's reign he had.
as every one knows. q constant
need OF money.
From time to time issues Of
coins OF various denominations. -
well as bank notes. were made. but
there were many who distrusted
Napoleon's success. and the issues
were not always received with
favor.
I'm order to create a popular coin.
age some OF his ministers conceived
the idea OF issuing large number
OF one-franc pieces. In one OF which
/ should be, cleverly concealed. .
bank note of 100000 francs.
"A coin was selected at random.
and a clover matchmaker was en-
ployed TO make within II the secret
cavity In which the note was placed.
and the coin thrown IN with many
millions OF similar coins IN circula'
ton.
1.-THE experiment was q huge suc
cess. yet, up to now, II cost the gov
eminent nothing. Everybody scram-
bled TO get the new coins-a great
many were destroyed in fruitless
efforts to find the bank note, but It
was never found. At last people
came TO look upon the coin ~
mythical.
"Only by the luckieet Of chances
could Il have been discovered. and
that chance. Mile. Mercier, fell to
the lot OF your father"
The project paused.
He raised his hand to his face.
calmly removed his pointed gray
mustache and imperial. took off his
wig. and laughed.
"Duvall," exclaimed Mr.. Ger.
maine. stepped suddenly backward.
1T is not possiblel"
"Sacrs nom de Dieul" gasped
Captain Bonnet.
And where, may I ask. Il N.
Lefevre?" asked the astounded man
aging director. as soon as he could
collect his wits.
"He has been enjoying the
gaieties OF my place at Newport for
the past three weeks" replied
Duvall THE END
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