Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-04-16

INSTRUCTED The floor. la stumbling H.
threw out Il hand which encountered
al electric light bracket. ~Sieadying
himself by this he felt for and turned
the switch; the brilliance of a single
bulb dazzlingly exercised darkness.
He stood in a small. a~irless, window
less chamber. furnished simply with n
square mahogany table and four chairs
on a rug. Otherwise 1t was featureless
but fc. ii huge safe-door built into the
wall c.ose by the foot Of the staircase.
This door stood ajar. A black void
was beyond Ii. At PAYS feet lay the
obstacle which had so nearly proved
his downfall: the body of a little Japa-
nese clad in the uniform OF a tele-
graph messenger-in his dead hand an
automatic pistol.
Turning. Parr called to Martin to
come down to him.
The negro's answers to his questions
enabled him rapidly to reconstruct the
prelude 10 a brutal crime.
1t seemed that, shortly before Pat
ria's guardian had dismissed him for
the night. Martin had answered the
door-bell to admit a telegraph messen-
ger boy with n telegram for Peter Rip
ley. Signing for the message. Martin
had told the boy TO wait for a possible
answer, and had taken the envelope TO
his employer In the library. But when
MIR. Ripley had opened IL, ,he had found
W.nflfnw x~fflfn eh. Arxwn and
when he and Martin had gone back to
the hall to interrogate the messenger,
this last had vanished.
BY this ruse (Parr reckoned) obtain
ing Abundance to the house when Mar
tins back was turned. the pseudo-mes-
senger had secreted himself and waited
till. finishing his letter to Patria. Rip
ley had found reason to descend TO the
treasure vault. Then, following. the
messenger had tried to shoot Ripley
down. but had met death himself In
the attempt. Meantime a confederate
had entered the house-gaining admit
lance through the front door, left un-
locked. rs Parr and Patria had found
II. by the first japanese. And when
Ripley. emerging from the secret pas
sase-no doubt even then fatally
wounded-had called Patria In New
port by long dlstance-the second
japanese had shot to kin and had sue
ceeded IL at cost Of his own life. a.. i. .
Asking Patria to turn aside while ne
with Martins aid carried up the dead
japanese and placed him with the 9TH
ers In the drawing-room. Parr left Mar
tin On guard. and conducted the girl be-
low Il the treasure vault.
III any trace Of ~incredulity had thus
far colored his thoughts, they were
promptly dissipat cd.
The vault was not large-perhaps
twice the size of It's northumberland
was so wcll-flled with boxes. bales and
bundles that II afforded scant space In
which TO about. Aside from the
entrance, three walls were hidden by
packing-cases. The fourth. the farth-
est from the entrance. boosted racks
OF pigeonholes In which were filed and
docketed packet upon packet of papers,
and In addition a richly framed oil por-
trait of u gentleman In continental uni
form. Boosting a brass plate with this
legend:
JOHN CLAIMING. Esq.
Oh. 1757-D. 1850
Patriot, Statesman, Soldier.
Founder OF the Claiming Secret De
Tense Fund.
Ignoring all else in the vault, the girl
Patria fingered for many minutes be-
fore this portrait Of the ancestor whose
clear foresight and love of country had
created that trust whose burden had
now fallen upon her slender, pretty
shoulders.
Itapt beyond utrernnce. she slgnifled
her wish to confirm her deceased guar
dinn's report as to the treasure.
Parr selected one from the nearest
stack of wooden boxes, and essayed to
transfer 1t 10 the table. But II proved
heavier than he had anticipated, and
slipped through fingers %unprepared for
its weight. There was a crash; the
box lny shattered ut their feet. its con-
tents spilled-stack upon stack Of gold
IN d~ouble-eagles scattered upon the
floor.
There was q pause.
Patria sank into q chair and rested
~forcarrns upon the table. In her hands
she held Peter Ripley's letter.
After y little, shutting the sheets.
she brouCnr that one u~ppernvst which
showed tie cords
Wisely employed. this treasure may
prove the salvation OF your country In
this . . its hour of direct need"
God make me WISE" she said-and
faltered-'God make me wise to adj
minister this sacred trust f
Without wholly approaching what he
did. transported beyond himself, Parr
closed his fingers over hers.
Amen to that !" said he. .
On the echo OF his words a dull grat-
Ing noise sounded above their heads.
HOLOCAUST.
In the twinkling Of an eyelash both
appreciated what had happened: the
door TO the secret passage had swung
shut for whatever reason, Martin pre-
sumably had seen III to close II.
Without hesitation Parr swung
about, out Of the vault and up the con