course news of Dic's wealth had
spread throughout the town and country, and had furnished many a
pleasant hour of conversation among persons with whom topics were
scarce.

Late one night Billy Little's slumbers were disturbed by a noise in the
store, and his mind at once turned to the gold. He rose quickly, seized
his shot-gun, and opened the door leading into the storeroom just in
time to see two men climb out through the open window near the
post-office boxes. Billy ran to the window and saw the men a hundred
yards away. He climbed out and hurried in pursuit, but the men were soon
out of sight, and Billy returned shivering to the store. He could see by
the dim light from the window that the doors of his strong-box were
standing open. There was no need to examine the box. Billy well knew the
gold had vanished. He shut the iron doors and went back to his room,
poked the fire, seated himself at the piano, and for the next hour ran
through his favorite repertoire, closing the concert with "Annie
Laurie." Then he went to bed and slept like an untroubled child till
morning.

The safe had been unlocked by means of a false key. There were no
visible signs of robbery, and Billy Little determined to tell no one of
his loss. The first question that confronted him in the morning was,
what should be done about the loss of Dic's gold? That proposition he
quickly settled. He went across the road to the inn, got his breakfast,
returned to his room, donned his broadcloth coat, made thirty years
before in London, took from his strong-box notes to the amount of
twenty-six hundred dollars, and left for Indianapolis by the noon stage.
At Indianapolis he sold the notes and brought back Dic's gold. This he
kept in his iron box during the day and under his pillow at night.

* * * * *

The household effects of the Bays family were placed in two wagons to be
taken to Indianapolis. Dic had offered to drive one team, and Tom was to
drive the other. Mr. Bays had preceded the family by a day or two; but
before leaving he and Dic had gone to Billy Little's store for the
money. Dic, of course, knew nothing of the robbery. Billy had privately
advised his young friend to lend the money payable on demand.

"You should buy a farm when a good opportunity offers," said he. "Land
hereabouts will increase in value a hundred per cent in ten years. You
should not tie up your money for a long time."

Billy made the same re