The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-03-03
Continued from Our Last Issue. }

Continued from Our Last ISSUE
vendome met the secretary by
appointment at II o'clock the fol-
lowing morning, and told him the
whole story.
The chief listened with great
J interest-but without comment.
At the end he said; q
81 quite agree with you that
this is a matter to be taken up
with the French embassy. 1t so
happens that the ambassador is
to be here in five minutes. You
may remain and tell him so much
of the story as you see fit. Until
his government authorizes him
to proceed, do not think it nee
essary to disclose the locality of
the jewels. In other words, re-
late sufficient for him to report
to Paris that there seems to be
an excellent chance to recover
their missing crown jewels"
He touched a button. AN
nounce the French ambassador
the moment he arrives" he di-
! rected.
He is. waiting, SIR" said the
man, and bowed the nervous little
Frenchman into the room.
Your excellency," said the sec
reary, when the greetings were
over, MIR, Vendome has just made
verbal report on a matter that
will, | feel sure, interest you ex-
ceedingly. | have asked him to
remain so that he may repeat it
to you"
81 shall be most glad, indeed,
to hear it, the ambassador an
swered, turning to Vendome.
Some little time ago." said
Vendome, II heard a tale pur-
porting to give the locality where
the crown Jewels of France
stolen, believe, during the Rev
olution"-and the ambassador
sat forward on his chair-"are
hidden. l thought nothing of 1t
then-more than that it was an
entertaining tale. 1t was to the
effect that, during the French
Revolution a Frenchman came to
America and settled here. The
name of the place and the state
were given-they are, l beg your
excellency's pardon, not material
at present. On this place, the tale
went, the jewels were buried in a
cave. Specific directions were
given how to find the cave; Nine
ty feet from the rear Of the house
was a large tree; 1853 feet north
west of the tree was a depression
in the turf; in the center of the
depression, at a depth of six feet,
was large stone, concealing the
entrance to the cave; after 40
feet the cave sank abruptly to a
new level, 75 feet across and IL
feet deep. This new level was
entirely filled by subterranean
stream; the jewels we're hidden
in a rocky recess in the further
bank, about 10 feet under water
Such were the main features OF
the story.
Now for the facts in confirma-
ton. Some days later at a
friends house l CHANGED to relate
the story, and give the name 81
the place. My host knew of such
a place, abandoned for genera
lions, with a stone house upon 1t
1t was in a remote section. The
next day we went there, without
an idea however, that anything
but a pleasant ride would come
of it. We found the place: 80
feet from the rear of the house
we found the giant tree; 1853 feet
northwest there was no depres-
sion in the turf, but we dug and
found the stone; under 1t was the
cave-and the subterranean
stream-and on the floor, mid
way between the entrance and the
stream, were two skeletons-each
with bullet hole in the skull
and the bullet inside. These
bones we committed to the
stream; but in the dust beside
them we found this and he
drew out the ring and handed it
to the ambassador.
| The Frenchman fairly jumped
at 1t.
| THE Red Emerald" he cried.
He examined it closely-and
handed 1t back.
i 1T is marvellous! Simply mar
velous, he exclaimed. They were
speaking in French. Here in
America are found the lost crown
jewels!"
/ They are not found yet," Ven
dome remarked.
mot yet-but they, are as good
as found. You went no further,
I presume-the stream blocked
your"
/ at did-we went no further"
"Who else knows of this mat
ter, may l ask?"
-Four others were with us.
They may be relied on absolute
| ly."
i "Of course. SIR" said the am
bassador, at Is marvelouslyj
truly marvellous! Thank you, on
behalf of my government, for your
great courtesy in disclosing the
matter to me--until France can
honor you more fittingly. ! as
sumo, SIR, that the locality will
be disclosed when I receive the
formal authority to proceed?"
i Exactly. / have already dis