[The Cover]
This painting, originally believed to be the work of the Dutch artist Frans Hals (1580-1666), is a fake. Measurements of the naturally radioactive isotopes, polonium-210 and radium-226, in lead white from the paint proved that it was no more than 50 years old.
A Van Meegeren forgery of a Vermeer.
The Mysterious Box
The New Jersey sun was high overhead and the day was hot. The three boys walking along a deserted stretch of beach didn’t mind because they were barefoot and in their swimsuits. Occasionally they would dash in and out of the surf to cool off.
Suddenly Martin let out a yell as his toe hit something hard hidden in the sand at the water’s edge. A moment later Bill and Harley were helping Martin dig out a large wooden case. It was heavy, well built, tightly sealed, and had foreign words written on it.
“Maybe it’s a pirate treasure chest,” said Martin, who was almost eight and had just read Treasure Island for the first time the week before.
“You’re crazy,” said Harley, who, nearly ten, was much older and wiser.
Bill, going on twelve, thought aloud, “It must be something worthwhile; maybe we can sell it and buy those model rockets we wanted.”