ELSIE'S CONFESSION.
"Something inside!" exclaimed Ida, as the trio stood for a moment
staring at Uncle Roger's box.
"Yes," answered her brother. "Didn't you hear it move? You listen; I'll
do it again."
There was not the slightest doubt that the chest was no longer empty.
"But it's locked," said Ida, "and has been ever since the evening when
it was first opened; and father has the keys of the two padlocks."
"Well, it's not empty now," returned her brother. "I say, I wonder what
on earth it can be? Let's go in and ask mother if she put anything
inside."
The air-pistol was forgotten, and the party at once adjourned to
the house to make further inquiries. They found Mrs. Ormond in the
dining-room, but she was unable to throw any light on the subject.
"Neither your father nor I put anything into the box," she said. "It was
locked up and taken straight out into the tool-house. Of course, he may
have put something in since, but I think it hardly likely."
"But what can it be then, mother?" exclaimed Ida anxiously.
"I'm sure I don't know," was the answer. "You'll have to wait till your
father returns before you can find out, for he has got the keys of the
padlocks on his bunch."
"When will he be back?"
"Not before seven o'clock, I expect."
"Oh, bother!" cried Guy. "Fancy having to wait all that time!"
There was no alternative but to curb their impatience as best they
might, and the young people strolled back to the tool-house to have
another look at the chest.
"Listen while I turn it up," said Guy, "and see if we can guess what's
inside."
It was impossible to determine the contents of the box in this manner.
"I should think it was a parcel of some kind," said Ida. "You'd better
not do that any more, Guy. It may be something that will break if it's
rolled and banged about."
"Whatever it is," remarked Brian, "I expect uncle put it inside before
he locked the box again."
"But mother said he didn't," persisted Guy. "I do believe the old thing
is bewitched. First, after it's been locked and sealed up for twenty
years, and was supposed to contain all kinds of precious things, it was
found to have nothing at all in it but a cork (which doesn't count); and
now, when every one declares it was put away empty, there's something
inside."
No further discovery was likely to be made by simply lingering about
staring at the outside of the chest, so, having recovered the air-pistol
dart with the aid of a pair of steps, the trio dispersed, and went their
several ways.
Brian strolled off down the garden, but had not gone far when he heard
some one running after him, and turning round saw Elsie.
"O Bri!" she cried, "is it true that there's something in Uncle Roger's
box?"
"It seems so," was the answer.
"Well, _how_ can it have got there?" cried the child, her eyes growing
rounder with excitement. "Isn't it wonderful? D'you think it's anything
valuable?"
"I think we'd better not make any more guesses about that box until
we see it opened," answered the boy, laughing; "though if you like to
come and listen I'll turn the chest over. You'll then hear the hidden
treasure moving inside, and can decide whether it sounds like a bundle
of bank-notes, silver-plate, or bags of money."
If he had proposed a visit to the dentist, Elsie could not have shown
greater reluctance to accept the invitation.
"I shan't go near that old tool-house again," she said slowly.
"Why not?"
"Will you promise you won't say anything? I wouldn't tell any one else
but you, because I know they would only laugh at me, and say I was a
coward."
"I won't say anything," answered the boy, smiling. "Come on--out with
it! What's been the matter with you the last few days?"
Brian never broke his promises; his word was always to be trusted. It
was with almost a sigh of relief that Elsie prepared to unburden herself
of a secret which she had hitherto been keeping locked within her own
bosom.
"I had an awful fright," she began. "You know when we were playing 'I
spy' I went into the tool-house, and I--I saw something."
"Well, what did you see?"
"O Bri!" continued the girl, lowering her voice, and the startled look
appearing once more on her face, "_I saw William Cole!_"
"Saw William Cole!" repeated Brian in astonishment. "What on earth d'you
mean? Why, William, poor fellow, is drowned, and at the bottom of the
sea, hundreds of miles from here."
"I know," gasped Elsie breathlessly. "But I saw him, all the same.
The light of the lamp fell right on him. He was standing quite still,
looking at me. I saw him as plainly as I see you now; and--O Bri," the
child continued, covering her eyes with her hands, "I'm afraid to be
left alone in the dark for fear I should see him again."
Brian felt sorry for his little cousin.
"Oh, nonsense, Elsie!" he said, taking her arm after the manner of a
good comrade. "Don't go imagining that you've seen a ghost, because you
haven't. It was all fancy. Look here; after you'd gone indoors I went
myself and looked into the tool-house to see what had frightened you,
and there was nothing there. You must buck up, and make up your mind you
won't give way to your fears. Now come on with me, and we'll explore the
tool-house together."
It cost Elsie a great effort, but she at length allowed herself to
be persuaded; and, arm in arm, the two cousins made their way to the
tool-house. There was certainly no sign of poor William, but that Elsie
was firmly persuaded in her own mind that she had seen him was evident
enough.
[Illustration]
"He stood there," she whispered, pointing with her finger, and shivering
at the recollection. "He never moved, and never spoke, and then I let
the lamp fall and ran away. You won't tell any one, will you, Brian?
Remember, you've promised."
"Oh, I won't tell," answered the boy good-naturedly; "but the sooner you
get rid of these fancies the better."
The curtains had been drawn and the lamp lit; it was nearly tea-time,
and Jane was then laying the table.
"There, now!" exclaimed Mrs. Ormond suddenly; "I've let Henry go home
without asking him to leave word at Mrs. Budd's for her not to come on
Monday. How forgetful I'm getting!"
"Is it anything I can do for you, aunt?" asked Brian.
"Oh no, my dear; thank you," was the answer. "I wanted Henry to tell
Mrs. Budd, the washer-woman, not to come on Monday."
"Shall I take the message for you?"
"Oh no, Brian; she lives in Bridge Lane--right on the other side of the
town. If it had been nearer I would have asked you to go."
"Oh, it wouldn't take me long, aunt," answered the boy. "I'll ride on my
bicycle; the lamp is trimmed; and I can have my tea when I come back."
"It's very kind of you to offer," answered Mrs. Ormond, hesitating. "I
almost think I will ask you to go, if you're sure you aren't tired. I
don't want to bring the poor soul all this way on Monday morning for
nothing."
Brian started off at once, saying he should be back in half an hour; and
his aunt and cousins sat down to tea.
"I hope father won't be later than seven," said Guy, glancing at the
clock on the mantelpiece. "I want to know what's in that chest."
"Brian's been longer than he said," he remarked when, at the end of the
meal, he pushed back his chair and rose from the table. "I expect he
hasn't been able to find the old woman's house, or perhaps his tyre's
punctured. Hullo! There's father!"
The boy's quick ears had caught the rattle of a latch-key, and immediately
there was a rush into the hall. Mr. Ormond entered with the collar of his
greatcoat turned up.
"Phew! it's cold," he said. "Hullo! What's the matter now?" Guy and Ida
were both speaking at once.
"Father, did you put anything in Uncle Roger's box? It isn't empty now;
there's something inside!"
"What d'you mean? I don't understand."
Hurriedly Ida gave the necessary explanation.
"I never put anything into the chest," said Mr. Ormond, with a puzzled
look. "I locked it up, and told Henry to carry it into the tool-house."
"Well, there's something in it now!" cried Guy. "Father, lend us your
keys, and let us go out and open it at once."
"Oh, nonsense!" was the answer. "Wait until Monday."
"We've been waiting all the afternoon," pleaded Ida. "Do let us have the
keys!"
"Very well," laughed her father, producing a bunch from his pocket.
"These are the ones. If you take a light out, don't set the place on
fire."
"Won't you leave it till Brian comes back?" suggested Elsie; but her
brother and sister had already started off in the direction of the yard
door.
Elsie had shuddered at the very thought of going near that tool-house in
the dark; but, ghost or no ghost, she meant to see that box opened. As
the saying goes, she took her courage in both hands, and ran quickly
after Guy and Ida.