sally dows-第41章

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Uncle　Sylvester　took　the　coin　back；　placed　it　in　his　left　eye；　like
a　monocle；　and　winked　gravely　at　the　company。

〃It　is　the　SAME！〃　he　went　on　quietly。　　〃I　was　interested；　for　I　had
a　good　memory；　and　I　remembered　that；　as　a　boy；　grandfather　had
shown　me　one　of　those　coins　and　told　me　he　was　keeping　them　for　old
Jules　du　Page；　who　didn't　believe　in　banks　and　bank…notes。　　Well；　I
traced　them　to　a　trader　called　Flint；　who　was　shipping　gold　dust
from　Stockton　to　Peter　Gunn　&　Sons；　in　New　York。〃

〃To　whom？〃　asked　Gabriel　quickly。

〃Old　Gunnthe　father　of　your　friend！〃　said　Uncle　Sylvester
blandly。　　〃We　talked　the　matter　over　on　our　way　to　the　station　this
morning。　　Well；　to　return。　　Flint　only　said　that　he　had　got　them
from　a　man　called　Thompson；　who　had　got　them　from　somebody　else　in
exchange　for　goods。　　A　year　or　two　afterwards　this　same　Thompson
happened　to　be　frozen　up　with　me　in　Starvation　Camp。　　When　he
thought　he　was　dying　he　confessed　that　he　had　been　bribed　by　Flint
to　say　what　he　had　said；　but　that　he　believed　the　coins　were
stolen。　　Meantime；　Flint　had　disappeared。　　Other　things　claimed　my
attention。　　I　had　quite　forgotten　him；　until　one　night；　five　years
afterwards；　I　blundered　into　a　deserted　mining…camp；　by　falling
asleep　on　my　mule；　who　carried　me　across　a　broken　flume；　butI
think　I　told　you　that　story　already。〃

〃You　never　finished　it；〃　said　Cousin　Jane　sharply。

〃Let　me　do　so　now；　then。　　I　was　really　saved　by　some　Indians；　who
took　me　for　a　spirit　up　aloft　there　in　the　moonlight　and　spread　the
alarm。　　The　first　white　man　they　brought　me　was　a　wretched　drunkard
known　to　the　boys　as　'Old　Fusil；'　or　'Fusel　Oil；'　who　went　into
delirium　tremens　at　the　sight　of　me。　　Well；　who　do　you　suppose　he
turned　out　to　be？　　Flint！　　Flint　played　out　and　ruined！　　Cast　off
and　discarded　by　his　relations　in　New　Yorkthe　foundation　of　whose
fortunes　he　had　laid　by　the　villainy　they　had　accepted　and　condoned。
For　Flint；　as　the　carpenter　of　the　old　homestead；　had　discovered　the
existence　of　a　bricked　closet　in　the　wall　of　father's　study；
partitioned　it　off　so　that　he　could　break　into　it　without　detection
and　rifle　it　at　his　leisure；　and　who　had　thus　carried　off　that　part
of　grandfather's　hoard　which　father　had　concealed　there。　　He　knew　it
could　never　be　missed　by　the　descendants。　　But；　through　haste　or
ignorance；　he　DID　NOT　TOUCH　THE　PAPERS　and　documents　also　hidden
there。　　And　THEY　told　of　the　existence　of　grandfather's　second
cache；　or　hiding…place；　beneath　this　hearth；　and　were　left　for　me　to
discover。〃

He　coolly　relit　his　pipe；　fixed　his　eyes　on　Marie　without
apparently　paying　attention　to　the　breathless　scrutiny　of　the
others；　and　went　on：　〃Flint；　alias　Pierre　a　Fusil；　alias　Gunn；　died
a　maniac。　　I　resolved　to　test　the　truth　of　his　story。　　I　came　here。
I　knew　the　old　homestead；　as　a　boy　who　had　wandered　over　every　part
of　it；　far　better　than　you；　Gabriel；　or　any　one。　　The　elder　Gunn
had　only　heard　of　it　through　the　criminal　disclosure　of　his
relative；　and　only　wished　to　absorb　it　through　his　son　in　time；　and
thus　obliterate　all　trace　of　Flint's　outrage。　　I　recognized　the
room　perfectlythanks　to　our　dear　Kitty；　who　had　taken　up　the
carpet；　which　thus　disclosed　the　loose　plank　before　the　closet　that
was　hidden　by　the　partition。　　Under　pretext　of　rearranging　the
roomfor　which　Kitty　will　forgive　meI　spent　the　day　behind　a
locked　door；　making　my　way　through　the　partition。　　There　I　found
the　rifled　closet；　but　the　papers　intact。　　They　contained　a　full
description　of　the　sum　taken　by　Flint；　and　also　of　a　larger　sum
buried　in　a　cask　beside　this　chimney。　　I　had　just　finished
unearthing　it　a　few　moments　before　you　came。　　I　had　at　first　hoped
to　offer　it　to　the　family　as　a　Christmas　gift　to…morrow；　but〃　　He
stopped　and　sucked　slowly　at　his　pipe。

〃We　anticipated　you；〃　said　Gabriel　laughing。

〃No；〃　said　Uncle　Sylvester　coolly。　　〃But　because　it　don't　happen　to
belong　to　YOU　at　all！　　According　to　the　paper　I　have　in　my　pocket；
which　is　about　as　legal　a　document　as　I　ever　saw；　it　is　father's
free　gift　to　Miss　Marie　du　Page。〃

Kitty　threw　her　arms　around　her　white　and　breathless　friend　with
a　joyful　cry；　and　honest　Gabriel's　face　shone　with　unselfish
gratification。

〃For　yourself；　my　dear　Gabriel；　you　must　be　satisfied　with　the　fact
that　Messrs。　Peter　Gunn　&　Sons　will　take　back　your　wildcat　stock　at
the　price　you　paid　for　it。　　It　is　the　price　they　pay　for　their
share　in　this　little　transaction；　as　I　had　the　honor　of　pointing
out　to　Mr。　Gunn　on　our　way　to　the　station　this　morning。〃

〃Then　you　think　that　young　Mr。　Gunn　knew　that　Flint　was　his
relation；　and　that　he　had　stolen　father's　money；〃　said　Kitty；　〃and
that　Mr。　Gunn　only　wanted　to〃　　She　stopped；　with　flashing　eyes。

〃I　think　he　would　have　liked　to　have　made　an　arrangement；　my　dear；
that　would　keep　the　secret　and　the　property　in　the　family；〃　said
Uncle　Sylvester。　　〃But　I　don't　think　he　suspected　the　existence　of
the　second　treasure　here。〃

〃And　then；　sir；〃　said　Cousin　Jane；　〃it　appears　that　all　these
wretched；　unsatisfactory　scraps　of　stories　you　were　telling　us　were
nothing　after　all　but〃

〃My　way　of　telling　THIS　one；〃　said　Uncle　Sylvester。

As　the　others　were　eagerly　gathering　around　the　unearthed　treasure；
Marie　approached　him　timidly；　all　her　audacity　gone；　tears　in　her
eyes；　and　his　ring　held　hesitatingly　between　her　fingers。　　〃How　can
I　thank　youand　how　CAN　you　ever　forgive　me？〃

〃Well；〃　said　Uncle　Sylvester；　gazing　at　her　critically；　〃you　might
keep　the　ring　to　think　over　it。〃






End