trying to grasp
at something that he held in his hand.

Proceeding into the main room of the mill, Tim held his prize close to
the light of three lanterns. It was a small box, tied with cords, and
contained apparently something like coin, by the clinking sound that
came from within.

"I found it out in the mill, where the water comes in and where the big
wheels are," said Tim, breathlessly. "Sounds as though there was money
in it, don't it? It was just where one of the shafts goes through part
of a beam. The beam is cut away there, and room enough left for this,
right under the shafting. Nobody'd ever think of going near it when the
mill was running; but I climbed up there and took hold of the shaft, and
I spied it."

He was tearing off the cords as he spoke; and now, as he opened the
cover, sure enough, there was disclosed a handful or two of small coin:
some quarters and dimes and pennies--but nothing of great value. These
were intermingled with some papers, folded small.

John Ellison snatched at these and quickly unfolded them. But they read
disappointment for him. They were nothing more than a lot of receipted
bills, for supplies brought to the miller. Then they counted the coin.
There was a dollar and eighty odd cents in cash.

Tim Reardon was elated enough, and evidently thought the discovery
justified any amount of laborious searching; but the faces of John
Ellison and Henry Burns were eloquent of disappointment.

"Too bad, John," remarked Henry Burns, putting his hand on the other's
shoulder. "I thought we'd struck it at last. Want to hunt any more?"

John Ellison shook his head. "I've got enough," he said. "I give it up.
We've looked everywhere I can think of."

"And who gets the money?" inquired Tim, eagerly.

"I don't know," replied John Ellison, "and I don't care much. But I
don't know as we've got any right to it--though these bills aren't
Witham's, and I suppose the money isn't. The mill is his now, and I
guess we haven't any right to come in here and take this."

"Well," suggested Henry Burns, "why not ask Witham about it?"

"Ask Witham!" exclaimed John Ellison. "I won't. I don't want ever to
speak to him again. You can, though, if you want to."

"All right," said Henry Burns. "I'll ask him. And I'll get the money for
you."

"I don't want it," exclaimed John Ellison, whose disappointment was
evident in his tone of bitterness. "Give it to Tim--if you get it."

"All right," said Henry Bur