Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1921-11-10
Carolina PANTY Guards Secret.

American Trust Company, at Char
lotte, N. c., reposes an oblong pack
age, around which time has painted
a halo OF mystery and secrecy, and
history has recorded a singular story
OF human loyalty.
Not since that day during the Civil
War when NJ. M. Tyler, said to have
been a resident OF Baltimore, placed
the package in the hands OF a Mrs
McAulay, at Huntersville, N. c., have
its contents been viewed by human
eyes.
For generations it has been hand
ed down, unopened, to the heirs OF
the McAulay family, the last recip-
lent placing it in the banks vaults
last week for safekeeping.
Does it contain riches? Is thore a
map to some hidden fortune concealed
therein? What was the fate OF Tyler,
the only man who knew its contents
Who holds the key to the mystery Of
the story?
Death, undying trust and perplex-
ing riddles have played their little
part in the drama, and those who have
the power to open the package now
dare not do so. The beginning OF
the story goes back to the days when
Sherman's men marched up from Geor-
gia, laid waste the South Carolina
capital and swung northward in a tri-
umphant march over a 6O-mile front
that spread terror to those in their
path.
To the home OF widow, Mrs. Nc
Auay, in the sleepy little village of
Huntersville, came a stranger. He
was a man of middle age, his face
hidden by a jet black beard. Appa-
rently he was man Of culture, and
he said he came from Baltimore, and
Tyler rented a store from Mrs. Nc
Aulay, filled it with merchandise and
for a while did hourishing business.
Yet there was an air OF mystery
about the man. His nights he spent
writing under a kerosene lamp in a
back room Of the store. In the morn
ing he would saddle his horse and
ride to Harrisburg, village 10 miles
away, for his mail although there
was a postoffice next door. Never
did he receive letter at Hunters
vile.
Suspicion and wonder filled the mind
of Mrs. McAulay. Attempts were
made, of course, to pry into the Sc
crets OF the strange man, but to no
avail.
Then one day came the climax.
Tyler ran into Mrs. McAulays house
with the package in his hand.
81 am going away" he said. keep
this for me. Guard it with your life.
Never let it be lost. Promise me to
keep it until return"
Tyler never returned. To this day
no one knows his fate. He literally
vanished from the earth. For years
Mrs. McAulay guarded the box. 1t
was covered with thick white cloth. Sc
curely sewed.
Then Mrs. McAulay became ill.
She called her daughter to her bed
side, intrusted the parcel to her care
and exacted promise never to open
it. She died the next day.
Never once did the daughter break
faith, and never was there a clue to
Tyler. Years passed. The daughter
died, and her brother, w. c. McAulay,
came into possession of the myster-
ious package.
Once more new hands guarded the
package, and the years continued 10
slip by. Last April McAulay ded and
the package passed on to his wife.
But Mrs. McAulay had enough Of
the strange mystery and refused to
allow the package to remain in the
house.
81 will not break faith" she said.
Mr. Tyler admpnished me to guard
it carefully, and guarded it will be,
but in the vaults Of the bank"
So in the underground vaults of the
trust company the little cloth-bound
package lies breathing an air OF trag-
edy and adventure, haunting to those
who would remove the veil.