llagers, made known
his appointment.

Fairfield left town and drifted to California, where he became an
adventurer, living in a miserable and precarious manner. Mr. Hamlin
moved into his fine house, and Dick was sent to a school to prepare for
college.

The next day Frank started on his return to New York.

CHAPTER XXXIX

AN IMPORTANT DISCOVERY

On his return to New York, Frank had no reason to be dissatisfied with
his reception. From Mr. Percival to Freddie, all the family seemed
delighted to see him.

"You mustn't go away again, Frank," said little Freddie. "I wanted to
see you ever so much."

"And I wanted to see you, Freddie," said our hero, his heart warming to
the little boy.

"You won't go away again, will you, Frank?"

"Not if I can help it, Freddie."

"We are all glad to see you back Frank," said his employer. "But you
have justified my opinion of you by your success. Some of my friends
ridiculed me for sending a boy on such an important mission, but I don't
believe any of them would have succeeded any better than you, if as
well."

"I am glad you are satisfied with me, sir," said Frank, very much
gratified by the commendation of his employer.

"I feel that you have done a great service, and indeed I don't know whom
I could have sent in your place. However, I am glad to see you back
again. I have missed you about my letters, and have postponed answering
some till my young secretary returned."

Frank resumed his regular employment, and three months passed without
anything that needs to be recorded.

At the end of that time, Frank received an important letter from Col.
Vincent, which gave him much food for thought.

The letter was as follows:

"Dear Frank: For some time past I have been intending to write to you,
but I have delayed for no good reason. Now, however, I am led to write
by a surprising discovery which has just been made in your old home,
which may be of material importance to you.

"When your stepfather went away, he requested me to have an eye to the
estate, and order whatever I might think necessary to be done. I am not,
as you know, a very cordial friend of Mr. Manning's, but I have always
regarded the property as of right belonging to you--that is, since your
mother's death--and so accepted the commission.

"A few days since I went over the house and found that it was quite
dirty. Where the dirt could come from in an unoccupied house I can't
tell, but, at all eve