s sent us out of doors."

"Would he, I wonder, Kenny, hide the money in the house?"

"I'm wondering too."

"The sitting room!"

"There," admitted Kenny, "he was often alone."

"Kenny, shall we look to-night?"

Kenny had his moment of doubt.

"We'll ask Hughie," he said.

And so with Hannah scoffing but noticeably on ahead with the lamp, they
climbed the stairs and tore the room to pieces--to no avail. In a
final burst of inspiration Hughie dragged the faded carpet from its
tacks and filled the room with dust. Sneezing and coughing, they faced
each other in the melee with looks of blank discouragement. Even
Kenny's inexhaustible energy and excitement seemed on the point of
waning. He stared drearily at the fireplace.

"It's cold in here," he said, shivering.

"Yes," said Joan, "we should have built a fire."

"The fireplace!" cried Hughie hoarsely.

"It's too late now," said Kenny irritably. "I'm chilled through."

"No, no, Mr. O'Neill, I'm not meaning the fire. It's the one place we
haven't looked."

"It won't hurt none to look, Mr. O'Neill," urged Hannah, who knew that
Kenny's energy was subject to undependable ebb and now. "If Hughie
goes out of here with that fireplace on his mind, he'll dream all night
about it."

Kenny strode to the fireplace with Hughie at his heels and jerked
impatiently at the mantel. It was sturdy and unyielding.

"I feared so," he said with a shrug.

Hughie seized the lamp.

"Hold the lamp, Mr. O'Neill," he begged, crouching. "I've got to look
at them bricks. Careful, sir! You're tipping it."

Huddled in the glare of the lamp they stared in fascination at the
smoky bricks.

"The bricks are loose!" exclaimed Hughie. "Look here!" He rattled one
with his finger.

Kenny emitted a long low whistle of intense amazement.

"Hughie, where's your knife?" he flung out wildly. "I think we're on
the trail!"

"The lamp's shaking!" warned Hannah. "Let me hold it."

"Oh, my God!" gasped Hughie with the dot fever flaring in his honest
eyes. "That ain't mortar. It's only ashes. Look!"

Kenny frantically pulled out a brick and dropped it with a clatter.
Another and another.

"Hold the lamp closer, Hannah!" directed Hughie, reaching within.
"There's something here!"

Shaking violently he pulled forth a battered box and flung back the
lid. It was stuffed to the brim with ragged money.

"Glory be to God!" cried Kenny and proceeded to pull the mantel down.

B