lower left-hand corner, "By hand of Viney."

The sheet which Ben drew from this wrapper was worn at the folds, and
required careful handling. Graciella, moved by curiosity, had come
down from her throne to a seat beside Ben upon the porch. She had
never had any faith in the mythical gold of old Ralph Dudley. The
people of an earlier generation--her Aunt Laura perhaps--may once have
believed in it, but they had long since ceased to do more than smile
pityingly and shake their heads at the mention of old Malcolm's
delusion. But there was in it the element of romance. Strange things
had happened, and why might they not happen again? And if they should
happen, why not to Ben, dear old, shiftless Ben! She moved a porch
pillow close beside him, and, as they bent their heads over the paper
her hair mingled with his, and soon her hand rested, unconsciously,
upon his shoulder.

"It was a voice from the grave," said Ben, "for my great-uncle Ralph
was dead when the letter reached Uncle Malcolm. I'll read it
aloud--the writing is sometimes hard to make out, and I know it by
heart:

_My Dear Malcolm:

I have in my hands fifty thousand dollars of government money,
in gold, which I am leaving here at the house for a few days.
Since you are not at home, and I cannot wait, I have confided
in our girl Viney, whom I can trust. She will tell you, when
she gives you this, where I have put the money--I do not write
it, lest the letter should fall into the wrong hands; there are
many to whom it would be a great temptation. I shall return in
a few days, and relieve you of the responsibility. Should
anything happen to me, write to the Secretary of State at
Richmond for instructions what to do with the money. In great
haste_,

_Your affectionate uncle,_
RALPH DUDLEY"

Graciella was momentarily impressed by the letter; of its reality
there could be no doubt--it was there in black and white, or rather
brown and yellow.

"It sounds like a letter in a novel," she said, thoughtfully. "There
must have been something."

"There must _be_ something, Graciella, for Uncle Ralph was killed the
next day, and never came back for the money. But Uncle Malcolm,
because he don't know where to look, can't find it; and old Aunt
Viney, because she can't talk, can't tell him where it is."

"Why has she never shown him?"