f the Waldo, and the burying of
the money, if such an event had occurred, of which he had some grave
doubts. But he could not stop then, for he was doing a man's work for
his father, and his conscience would not allow him to waste his time.
The mason asked more questions when Leopold returned to his work, and
they were answered as definitely as the circumstances would permit. The
young man examined the construction of the chimney, and found another
flue besides that of the Franklin stove, into which the diary had
fallen. It had formerly served for a fireplace in an adjoining
apartment, and had been bricked up before the landlord purchased the
estate. The Franklin stove, which was merely an iron fire place set into
the chimney, had the less direct flue of the two, so that the package
had fallen where it was found.

During the rest of the day, Leopold's thoughts were fixed upon the
long-lost diary, for which Miss Liverage and himself had vainly
searched. Doubtless she would claim the diary, if it was found; but had
she any better right to it than its present possessor? Leopold
considered this question with no little interest. The secret of the
hidden treasure was certainly in his keeping, and after the "trade" made
between them, he felt that she had some rights in the matter which he
was bound to respect. But the affair was no longer a secret; for after
the "humbug was exploded," as Leopold expressed it, he told his father
all about it. The landlord only laughed at it, and insisted that the
nurse was crazy; and her excited conduct at the hotel rather confirmed
his conclusion.

The result of Leopold's reflections during the day was a determination
to write to Miss Liverage again, if he found anything in the diary which
would enable him to discover the hidden treasure. The day seemed longer
to him than usual, so anxious was he to examine the pages of the diary.
When at last his work was done, and he had eaten his supper, he
hastened to his chamber, and opened the oil-cloth package. He was
greatly excited, as most people are when long-continued doubts are to be
settled. In a few moments he would know whether or not Miss Liverage was
crazy, and whether or not there was any foundation to the story of the
hidden treasure. He locked the door of his room before he opened the
package, for he felt now that the secret was not his own exclusive
property. If there was twelve hundred dollars in gold buried in the
sands under High Roc