he died, without being able to say any
other except those two words, gold and dickens."

"He might have meant Charles Dickens," suggested Patty, who dearly loved
to guess at a puzzle.

"As it turned out, he did," said Sinclair, serenely; "but that's ahead of
the story."

"And, too," said Mrs. Hartley, "the way in which he finally articulated
the word, by a great effort, and after many attempts, was so--so
explosive, that it sounded like an ejaculation far more than like a noted
author."

"Years went by," continued Sinclair, "and Grandy and mother were left
with the old Cromarty estate, and nothing to keep it up with."

"We had a small income, my boy," said his grandmother.

"Yes, but not enough to keep the place as it should be kept. However, no
trace could be found of Uncle Marmaduke's money. He was generally
supposed to have brought a large fortune home from India, but it seemed
to have vanished into thin air. His private papers and belongings showed
no records of stocks or bonds, no bank books, and save for a small amount
of ready money he had by him, he seemed to be penniless. Of course, he
wasn't; the way he had lived, and the money he had spent indicated that
he had a fortune somewhere; and, too, there was his promise to leave it
to Grandy. Of course, the conclusion was that he had hidden this
fortune."

"A hidden fortune!" exclaimed Patty, blissfully. "Oh, what a lovely
mystery! Why, you couldn't have a better one!"

"I think a discovered fortune would be far better," said Mabel, and Patty
clasped her friend's hand in sympathy.

"At last," said Sinclair, "a _very_ bright lawyer had a glimmering of an
idea that Uncle Marmaduke's last words had some meaning to them. He
inquired of the ladies of the house, and learned that the late Mr.
Marmaduke had been exceedingly fond of reading Dickens, and that he was
greatly attached to his own well-worn set of the great author's works.
'Ah, ha!' said the very bright lawyer. 'Between those well-thumbed pages,
we will find many Bank of England notes, or certificates of valuable
stocks!' They flew to the library, and thoroughly searched all the
volumes of the set. And what do you think they found?"

"Nothing," said Patty, wagging her head solemnly.

"Exactly that! Save for a book-marker here and there, the volumes held
nothing but their own immortal stories. 'Foiled again!' hissed the _very_
bright lawyer. But he kept right on being foiled, and still no hoard of
s