ted the small package in my hand. I pass over the joy with which
Bess received the box and its desired contents. I had lost all interest
in the matter, which was so entirely personal to herself, and, declining
the ten dollars which I knew she could ill afford, made my visit so
short that I was able to take a brisk walk down the street and yet be
back in time for breakfast.

This, like that of the preceding day, I took alone. Mrs. Packard was
well but preferred to eat up-stairs. I did not fret at this; I
was really glad, for now I could think and plan my action quite
unembarrassed by her presence. The opening under the vestibule floor
was to be sounded, and sounded this very morning, but on what pretext? I
could not take Mrs. Packard into my counsel, for that would be to lessen
the force of the discovery with which I yet hoped to dissipate at
one blow the superstitious fears I saw it was otherwise impossible to
combat. I might interest Ellen, and I was quite certain that I could
interest the cook; but this meant Nixon, also, who was always around and
whose animosity to myself was too mysteriously founded for me to trust
him with any of my secrets or to afford him any inkling of my real
reason for being in the house.

Yet help I must have and very efficient help, too. Should I telegraph to
Mayor Packard for some sort of order which would lead to the tearing
up of this end of the house? I could not do this without fuller
explanations than I could give in a telegram. Besides, he was under
sufficient pressure just now for me to spare him the consideration of so
disturbing a matter, especially as he had left a substitute behind
whose business it was, not only to relieve Mrs. Packard in regard to the
libelous paragraph, but in all other directions to which his attention
might be called. I would see Mr. Steele; he would surely be able to
think up some scheme by which that aperture might be investigated
without creating too much disturbance in the house.

An opportunity for doing this was not long in presenting itself. Mr.
Steele came in about nine o'clock and passed at once into the study. The
next moment I was knocking at his door, my heart in any mouth, but my
determination strung up to the point of daring anything and everything
for the end I had in view.

Fortunately he came to the door; I could never have entered without his
encouragement. As I met his eye I was ashamed of the color my cheeks
undoubtedly showed, but fe