"  I'm  afraid  there  may  be  something  wrong  with
the  money.  I'm  going  to  find  it  out  before  he  does,
if  there  is."

There  was  a  little  padlock  on  the  trunk,  but  it  was
tied  together  with  a  bit  of  leather  shoestring,  not
locked.  Jerome  took  out  his  jack-knife,  cut  the
string,  and  opened  the  trunk.  Elmira  held  the  can-
dle while  he  examined  the  contents.     There  was  a


489


large  old  wallet  stuffed  with  bank-notes,  also  several
parcels  of  them  tied  up  carefully.
'^  It^s  just  as  I  thought/*  Jerome  muttered.
"  What  ?"

"  Some  of  the  money  is  gone.  The  gold  isn't  here.
It  might  have  been  the  man  who  roomed  with  him  at
Hayes's  Tavern.  There  have  been  queer  things  done
there  before  now.  All  I  wonder  is,  he  didn't  take  it
all."

"  Oh,  Jerome,  it  isn't  gone  ?"

"  Yes,  the  gold  is  gone.  Here  is  the  bag  it  was  in.
The  thief  left  that.  Suppose  he  thought  he  might
be  traced  by  it."

"  Oh,  poor  father,  poor  father,  what  will  he  do  !"
moaned  Elmira.
"  He'll  do  nothing.  He'll  never  know  it,"  said  Je-
rome.
^'  What  do  you  mean  ?"

^^Wait  here  a  minute."  Jerome  went  noiselessly
out  of  the  room  and  up-stairs.  He  returned  soon
with  a  leathern  bag,  which  he  carried  with  great  cau-
tion. "  I'm  trying  to  keep  this  from  jingling,"  he
whispered.
"  Oh,  Jerome,  what  is  it  ?"

Jerome  laughed  and  untied  the  mouth  of  the  bag.
