ohn Gayther, "that was all. I have the ancient gold piece
in my room now, and some day I will show it to you.

"As soon as we could do it, we all went with the captain to New York,
and there we organized our company, and sold a lot of stock, and
chartered a good steamer with derricks and everything necessary for
raising sunken treasure. But, although the weather was fair, and we
sounded and sounded day after day at the very point of longitude and
latitude where we had left the two great ships of the olden time, we
never could find them.

"One day, just before we had concluded to give up the search, we saw
another vessel not far away, also sounding. This we afterwards heard
belonged to the stock-broker. He had chartered a steamer, and he had on
board of her a president, a secretary, a treasurer, a board of trustees,
and four derricks. We steamed away and soon left him, and I am very sure
that if his company had ever declared any dividends I should have heard
of it."

"And that is the end of your story, John Gayther?" said the Daughter of
the House, as she rose from her seat.

"Yes, miss; that is the end of it," replied the gardener.

The young lady said no more, but walked away in quiet reflection, while
John Gayther picked up the only pea-stick on which he had been at work
that morning.

THIS STORY IS TOLD BY

THE DAUGHTER OF THE HOUSE

AND IS CALLED

THE BUSHWHACKER NURSE

II

THE BUSHWHACKER NURSE

The Daughter of the House, her fair cheeks a little flushed, walked
rapidly down the broad centre path of the garden, looking for John
Gayther, the gardener. She soon saw him at work in a bed of
tomato-plants.

"John," said she, "I have just finished composing a story, and I came
out to tell it to you before I write it. I want to do this because you
compose stories yourself which in some ways are a good deal like this
of mine. But I can't tell it to you out here in the sun. Isn't there
something you can do in your little house? Haven't you some pea-sticks
to sharpen?"

"Oh, yes, miss," said John Gayther, with great alacrity; "and if you
will go and make yourself comfortable under the shed I will be there in
a few minutes."

It was rather difficult for John Gayther to find any pea-sticks which
had not already been stuck into the ground or which wanted sharpening,
but he succeeded in getting a small arm