The Coming Wave

e been better to dig up the hidden treasure in the daytime, when the light would have enabled him to observe the approach of an intruder. But he was glad it was Stumpy, rather than any other

y a word about the hidden

e from which he had taken it, and hastily covered it with sand to the depth of a foot, in fact, filling up the smaller hole he had made. This was the wo

the dark?" demanded Stumpy

kness," replied the

d Stumpy, as his friend stepped into the old

he mighty secret, not yet decided whether or not

in digging down here where it is

brought you down here in the darkness, Stumpy

r told me you had gone out in your boat just at dark; and, as a smart

ied about me when I was on the water. I

times. I think we had better hurry back, for the longer yo

eopold. "But we have two boats here, a

tow the

e the paint off. Now, Stumpy, if you will take the new boat, and sail back in her, I will follow you in

Rosabel, and tell them yo

doing there; and under present circumstances this would be a hard question, for Leopold was deeply indoctrinated with the "little hatchet" principle. In a word, he could not tell a deliberate lie. He could not place himself in a situation where a falseho

matters, and he was not willing to subject him to this temptation. The young man was still firm in his faith that the money belonged to

se. He had considered the possibility of finding the proprietor of the twelve hundred dollars in gold through the owners of the Waldo, and the consignees or agents of the brig in Havana. This was before he found the old shot-bag

dded Leopold, when he had considered the matter. "You can keep

om doing any misch

er Coffin Rock where he had been digging. Using his shovel vigorously for a few moments, he filled up the excavation he had

, and the painter of the old boat attached to her stern. In a few moments the mon

e worried about me," said Leopold,

caught in a squall. Without saying anything to your father, or any other person, I took the old boat, and stood out of the river.

you for the trouble you h

th the lantern and the shovel?" asked Stumpy. "You co

ored the Rosabel, with a long cable, and when the squall came, it blew her off

aimed Stumpy, entirely sati

h it had been brought about by a lie. The money-digger was not quite satisfied with himself, though he had an undoubted right t

Stumpy, after he had accepte

at

!" added Stumpy, whose chief emotion

old

gran

has he

ame thing, has notified my mother that she must move out

ugh," adde

y, it would be another thing; or if he would wait till houses and land are worth something in Rockhaven. But he takes the time when the war has knocked everything into a cocked hat; and nobody knows whether we are going to have any country

t you can help yoursel

an; but I have been tr

ha

anybody yet. Nobody down here has any money except my grandad, and it

me about this busin

es

k I could he

was my

know where he shall get the money to pay the interest on his mortgage, due on the first of Jul

help me in another way. But what you said about your father re

t's

t it," replied Stumpy, apparently troubled with a doubt in re

opold, whose high sense of honor would not permit him to encourage hi

rtainly not intended for my ear,

n't ment

you, Le, for the busine

hear my father and Jones talking about Smith in a private way, I don't think I have any

hotel talking about setting my mother's house on fire; suppose you knew the plan they had formed to burn the cottage; would

ng. These men would be plotting to commit a crime a

ime! That's just my opinion

is perfectly proper

father owes Squire Moses will be due on the first day of July; and that's only ten days ahead. The squire thinks your

, for he dreaded the first of July almost as a

acles into his own hands, and to say a word to him about the place, if I got a chance. I went into the kitchen, where the old man stays when he's in the house. He wasn't there; but I heard his

ses talking to?" asked

to listen, and I didn't want to break in on the old man when he was busy. Squire Moses did most of the talking, and

ry you mean?"

ber half I heard them say; but the substance of it was, that if your father don't pay his interest money on the very first day of

" exclaimed Leop

e to be sold too. The plan of the old hunks is to get the hotel, and put Ethan into it as landlord. If he can't do it this summer, he means to do

trick," mut

fe, with three children, out of house and home! But you can tell your father all about it, Le, and perhaps he may be able to get

don't know that my father will be able to do anything t

pe he

es; that they had picked up after the first blow of the war, and some men were getting rich faster than ever; but down here everything was at a stand-still; no business, and no money. The rich folks will come dow

e house on the first of July payment, he was afraid he should not be able t

raise the rest, though he says he has not had twenty dollars in his hand at one time for a month. I can't exactly see why it is that when men are making money hand over fist in some parts of the country, everything is so dead

ath towards the road, "you said I might be able to do something to help yo

ther worse than mine, if anything, and you have enough to think of w

help her out; but if I can do anythi

nds, you ought to use

by friends? I ha

will do no harm to tell you what I was thinking about, Le," added Stumpy, when they reach

tter?" demanded Leopold, puzzled by the roundabout

dy," continued Stumpy, with some

has been one of the best customers of the hotel. Perhap

u had," ejacu

he family, and induce them t

tumpy, placing a wicked e

t was!" prot

ather sweet on Miss Rosabel, wh

nion might have distinguished a slight blush upon his brown face. "I never thought of such

millions; you would have jumped overboard and

n't know. She's a nice

not all,

what

than she did the town pump, I don

e would any fellow that did his best

than

has all this to do with your m

d. I was going to ask you if you wouldn't write to Mr. Hami

the idea, but he pr

uld mention my father's c

is idea any better than the