New Britain herald., 1922-07-25

weapons, bits of crumbled carving, and among them all roll after roll of ancient parchment together with notebooks of more modern day.
 Scottie approached'a long, metal lined box and after one glance with in promptly retreated.
 Its a mummy" Miles gazed briefly down at the small, tightly swathed form and then turned in differently away. If Andrew found what he was looking for this after noon, we are wasting our time. but don't think he was successful. Those note-b books must contain the re- suit of years Of study and cassif1ca ton and see how the pages are torn out and scattered about"
 Then 1t was writing that Andrew was after. and modern writing at that for he's only thrown the parch- ments aside!" Scottie gathered up a handful of the loose sheets and ex- amined them critically.
 But what was he looking for? That's what we've got to find out. What would Roger have written and carted all around the world with him that his brother would want badly enough to steal? MT. Wells told me that the three brothers were devot- edly attached to each other, but have seen small evidence of affection en Andrews part for any of them"
 Do you see all these old caskets of metal and carved bone?" Scottie was playing his torch over the an- cient relics which filtered the floor Perhaps we can find one or two that hasn't been broken open"
 It was long past midnight when they desisted at last and Miles re- marked with shrug:
 "I guess we'd better give it up, old man. If there was anything here bearing on our problem Andrew must have made off with 1t. after all."
 Scottie suppressed a sneeze heroic ally as the dust which still foated in the air assailed his nostrils, and replied in strangled voice:
 The mould of the ages Is eating into my lungs and there's musty, spicy reek from that mummy"
 "The mummy" Miles struck his hands together softly. Its the one place we never thought of, Scottie. We're not beaten yet"
 He darted over to the long, coffin like case and his companion followed somewhat reluctantly.
 "The-the person doesn't appear to have been disturbed since the Pyra- mids were built" he ventured. What are you about, lad? You're never go- ing to undress 1t.
 Its Peruvian, not Egyptian; don't you see the inscription?" responded Miles in quick, excited whisper. Moreover, the wrappings about the head and breast have been unwound within very few years at most and then replaced"
 Miles inserted his hand with in- finite care beneath the displaced fla brio which covered the shrunken, f1int-like breast and drew forth a slen- der roll of parchment Scottie hastily returned his unwelcome burden to its original position and strode around the case to stare over his friends shoulder at the discovery.
 Its In figure writing." he ex- claimed disgustedly as the roll un- wound. You'd never be able to read it and it would do you no good if you did I've no doubt it's prayer. Put it back. Owen, it's defying Provi- dence-''
 'Defying your grandmother" Miles interrupted This message is in Egyptian hieroglyphics, Scottie, I know that much,-Egyptian picture writing in the wrappings of a Peru- vian mummy,-Get me piece of that parchment from the floor, will you ?"
 Scottie compiled and held both his torch and that of his companion while the latter compared the texture of the scrolls At length he drew quick breath and faced the older man with shining eyes.
 II can't read word of 1t as you say, but by the Lord Harry l think we've got it. There are professors in town who can decipher 1t for us and be depended upon to hold their tongues afterward, and we'll see that it reaches one of them tomorrow.
 But it can't be what Andrew was looking for" Scottie expostulated. He certainly cannot translate heiro what you said!'
 Nor would he have known that It was what he wanted if he had found itu' retorted Miles. Cant you see, old man? That was the intention of the person who placed it there. It is something that had to be preserVeu and vet must be undecipherable to ar---,,o ,ot 2 -tudent Of Egyptology.
 Miles tsowed papyrim and parch-