plan has failed before he begins
talking about buried treasure. We must manage it somehow. By the
pricking in my thumbs, I feel he'll come this afternoon! And luckily, if
all is well, the treasure troving won't be his only errand.

To-morrow I shall perhaps be able to let you into the whole secret. If
he but realizes that time is the great object now!

Your MOLLY IN SUSPENSE.

P. S. I _do_ think it was fun about the box from Miss Robinson's, don't
you?

XXXIII

MOLLY WINSTON TO MERCEDES LANE

_Awepesha._

DEAREST:

I believe that, next to the day Jack proposed to me at Taormina, and the
day we were married in London, this has been the most exciting day of my
life. I expected excitement, but nothing to what we have had!

I wrote you yesterday morning, after Pat went home to the boxful of sand
and jewels which not even Larry was to know about. The note I wrote to
Peter Storm had been left at his lodgings, so when he returned he would
know that he was wanted at our house. The trouble was, we had no idea
_when_ he would return; and that poor child Pat was trembling in her
extremely high-heeled shoes (she never wears boots to tremble in) lest
Caspian should reappear upon the scene. I hardly dared hope that the
letter Jack had sent to Mr. Strickland's office would reach Peter; but
it was that which did the trick. Mr. Strickland _was_ the lawyer he had
been consulting about his complicated affairs, and when the note
arrived, Mr. S. knew where to send it. No sooner was it read, than Peter
bolted from New York to Long Island, and had the happy thought of coming
to see us, to pick up the latest news from the front. I was so pleased
to see him walk in, I could almost have kissed him! But I didn't stop
to talk long. I ordered Hiawatha, and dashed off to fetch Pat. I was
afraid if I merely _sent_ for her, something might happen to keep the
girl at home, or Caspian might have turned up, and insist on coming with
her.

As it happened, I wasn't far wrong. Caspian _had_ indeed turned up,
bringing a strange man with him, and both were closeted with Larry. I
whisked Pat away before she could be called into the council chamber.
The poor child insisted on carrying the "Captain Kidd" box, wrapped in a
silk tablecloth from Como! She wanted to place it in the hands of its
owner and donor without delay, and Peter and