s vest pocket It was not
much, but it was more than he had had in his possession for months.

He continued his search, but failed to discover any more money. He
felt indignant. It seemed to him that he was badly used. That a miser
should have but a paltry ten dollars in his trunk was very
discreditable.

"He must have some more somewhere," Burns reflected.

It occurred to him that there might be hoards hidden under the floor,
or in the immediate neighborhood of the cabin. But it was night, and
there would be no profit in pursuing the search now.

"To-morrow," he reflected, "the boy will be off making preparations
for buryin' the old man, and then I can make another visit."

He closed the lid of the trunk, and with a general glance to see if
there was anything more worth taking, he rose to his feet and
prepared to leave the room.

Just at this moment Ernest, who was probably dreaming of the old man,
spoke in his sleep.

"Uncle Peter," he murmured.

The tramp stood still, apprehensive that Ernest would open his eyes
and detect his presence. But the boy did not speak again.

"I had better get," soliloquized Burns.

He got out of the window quietly, but as the boy stirred again, he
hurried away with out stopping to shut it.

When, a little after seven o'clock, Ernest woke up, the sun was
streaming in at the open window, and the cool air entered with it.

"How came the window up?" thought Ernest, wondering. "I am sure I
didn't leave it open last night."

There was nothing else to indicate that the cabin had been entered.
But the more Ernest thought it over, the more convinced he was that
there had been a visitor.

What could have been his motive?

With sudden suspicion, he went to the trunk and opened it. It was
evident that things had been disturbed. His eyes sought out the box
that contained the gold pieces. He opened it, and found that he had
been robbed.

"Who could have done it?" he asked himself.

He could not think of any one. He was acquainted with every one in the
little village, and he knew none that would be capable of theft. He
never thought of the ill-looking tramp whom he had met in Joe Marks'
store.

Ten dollars was a considerable loss to him, for he had estimated that
it would defray the expenses of old Peter's interment. It was not so
bad as it might have been, however, for the hundred dollars of which
Peter had told him were still safe.

"When I get that I must be careful," he said