lack
of rest makes one fanciful."

"It does not make a man feel stronger, though, and I tell you the box
was not near so heavy to-day as yesterday. Besides, as I said before, it
acted differently under the handling. There was something loose in it
to-day. Yesterday it was packed tight."

I shook my head, and tried to throw off the oppression caused by his
manner. But seeing his eyes travel to the window, I looked that way too.

"He didn't carry anything out of the door," declared Burritt, at this
moment, "because I watched it, and I know. But that window is only three
feet from the ground, and I remember now that at the instant I first
laid my ear to the keyhole, I heard a strange, grating sound just like
that of a window being lowered by a very careful hand. Shall I look
outside it, ma'am?"

I replied by going quickly to the window myself, lifting it, which I did
with very little trouble, and glancing out. The familiar garden, with
its path to the river, lay before me; but though I allowed myself one
quick look in its direction, it was to the ground immediately beneath
the window that I turned my attention, and it was here that I instantly,
and to the satisfaction of both Burritt and myself, discovered
unmistakable signs of disturbance. Not only was there the impression of
a finely booted foot imprinted in the loose earth, but there was a large
stone lying against the house which we were both confident had not been
there the day before.

"He went roaming through the garden last night," cried Burritt, "and he
brought back that stone. Why?"

I shuddered instead of replying. Then remembering that I had seen the
young wife well and happy only a few minutes before, felt confused and
mystified beyond any power to express.

"I will have a look at that stone," continued Burritt; and without
waiting for my sanction, he vaulted out of the window and lifted the
stone.

After a moment's consideration of it he declared:

"It came from the river bank; that is all I can make out of it."

And dropping the stone from his hand, he suddenly darted down the path
to the river.

He was not gone long. When he came back, he looked still more doubtful
than before.

"If I know that bank," he declared, "there has been more than one stone
taken from it, and some dirt. Suppose we examine the floor, ma'am."

We did so, and just where the box had been placed we discovered some
particles of sand that were not brought in from the roa