"You wish to find the letter?"

"I do."

"Then you will not object to my making a search?"

"Certainly not; I will oppose no effort to find the letter."

"Then I will make the search," said our hero.

CHAPTER IX.

A WONDERFUL SEARCH--JACK BECOMES THE SEARCHER--A
STARTLING DISCOVERY--THE LONG-LOST LETTER FOUND AT
LAST--A MOST REMARKABLE FEAT--THE STORY OF THE
SEALED LETTER.

There came a perplexed look to the face of the banker, as he said:

"It cannot be possible that I removed that letter."

"It is not only possible, but it is probable."

"But I searched for it."

"No doubt; but, sir, while searching were you as _positive then_ as you
are now that you had not removed the letter?"

"I may have been."

"You will permit me to make the search?"

"Certainly."

"All right, sir; leave me the keys of your private safe, then leave me
alone in the room where your safe is located, and we will settle the
question once and forever."

"You will not find the letter."

"You think so?"

"I am sure."

"Why are you so sure?"

"If I put it anywhere I put it in my private safe, and I have looked
through the safe several times."

"Looked through?" repeated the detective.

"Yes."

"But never made a search?"

"I would call it a search."

"I might not."

"Very well, sir, you shall satisfy yourself. Here are my keys, and the
safe is in that room built into the wall, and guarded as no other
private safe is guarded in this city."

Jack pulled out his watch and said:

"It is after eleven o'clock; I may be hours. Will you trust me alone
here until morning?"

"I will."

"Then you will retire?"

"I will, but if you do find the letter arouse me. But nonsense, you will
never find it."

"I will never be satisfied until I have at least made a search for it.
The document is too important to be passed over as lost by one who only
_looked_ for it. I will make a search, and, sir, I have a strange, weird
premonition that I will find it."

"Then, sir, you would only be doing your duty if you hung me by the neck
until I should die."

"We will not punish you as severely as that."

The detective was left alone with the safe and the keys in his
possession, and as he opened the safe a feeling came over him as though
he were really opening the doors of a tomb. Jack removed every article
from the safe; removed every drawer and piled them on a table which he
had placed for the purpose. It was evident that i