Tales of Terror and Mystery
The New Catacomb
"Itisevidentlyadiscoveryofthefirstimportance.TheseinscriptionswillmakeasensationthroughoutEurope."
"Foreveryoneherethereareamillionthere!"saidtheGerman."Therearesomanythatadozensavantsmightspendalifetimeoverthem,andbuildupareputationassolidastheCastleofSt.Angelo."
Kennedysatthinkingwithhisfineforeheadwrinkledandhisfingersplayingwithhislong,fairmoustache.
"Youhavegivenyourselfaway,Burger!"saidheatlast."Yourwordscanonlyapplytoonething.Youhavediscoveredanewcatacomb."
"Ihadnodoubtthatyouhadalreadycometothatconclusionfromanexaminationoftheseobjects."
"Well,theycertainlyappearedtoindicateit,butyourlastremarksmakeitcertain.Thereisnoplaceexceptacatacombwhichcouldcontainsovastastoreofrelicsasyoudescribe."
"Quiteso.Thereisnomysteryaboutthat.IHAVEdiscoveredanewcatacomb."
"Where?"
"Ah,thatismysecret,mydearKennedy.Sufficeitthatitissosituatedthatthereisnotonechanceinamillionofanyoneelsecominguponit.Itsdateisdifferentfromthatofanyknowncatacomb,andithasbeenreservedfortheburialofthehighestChristians,sothattheremainsandtherelicsarequitedifferentfromanythingwhichhaseverbeenseenbefore.IfIwasnotawareofyourknowledgeandofyourenergy,myfriend,Iwouldnothesitate,underthepledgeofsecrecy,totellyoueverythingaboutit.ButasitisIthinkthatImustcertainlypreparemyownreportofthematterbeforeIexposemyselftosuchformidablecompetition.
