etter count the gold."

Counting the money seemed to have a greater fascination to my friend
the officer than to me. He placed the coins upon the table in piles of
one hundred dollars each. When he had nearly finished, I counted eight
of them. There was not enough, even with the silver, to make another,
and the whole amount was eight hundred and ninety-one dollars.

"What will you do with this money, Phil?" asked Mr. Jackson.

"I don't know; keep it, I suppose."

"It is a pity to let it lie idle here. If you invest it, you will have
double this amount when you are of age."

"I can only invest it in a mud bank up here," I replied. "But we have
nearly a hundred cords of wood at the landing, which ought to bring
about four hundred dollars more, as it sells this year. A great many
steamers come up here now, and I think we shall sell it all this
season."

"Then you will have twelve or thirteen hundred dollars. If Mr.
Gracewood goes to St. Louis this fall, I advise you to let him invest
it for you."

"I will, sir. Is there anything else in the chest?"

"Here are papers relating to Matt Rockwood. There are names upon them,
and if you desire, you can obtain some information in regard to your
foster-father."

I did not care to look at the papers; and returning the money and other
articles to the chest, I locked it, and put the key in my pocket. Mr.
Jackson went to his tent, and Kit and I slept together in the Castle.
The picture of my mother, as I insisted upon believing it was, seemed
to be before me; and I gazed upon it in imagination till sleep shut it
out from my view.

CHAPTER XXV.

IN WHICH PHIL ATTENDS TO THE AFFAIRS OF THE FARM.

The Sabbath sun rose bright and beautiful, and shed its hallowed light
upon field and forest. Sunday had always been a day of rest at the
clearing since the coming of Mr. Gracewood. Matt Rockwood and I used to
spend the day at the island when the weather would permit us to go
there. The recluse, on these occasions, invariably read several
chapters of the Bible to us, explaining the meaning of the verses as he
proceeded, when necessary. After this he read a sermon, or a portion of
some religious book.

This had been our Sunday routine for the last three years; and Mr.
Gracewood told Matt and me that his religious experience dated no
farther back than this period. He declared that he was really worried
about me, a child of eight, who had received no religious training. As