muttered Stumpy.

"Why, father, Stumpy is a good boy," pleaded Mrs. Wormbury.

"If he takes any of this money, it will be just the same as stealing
it," added the squire, projecting the remark savagely at the trembling
widow of his lost son.

"Who is going to take any of it?" demanded Stumpy, springing to his
feet, with his mouth full of fried fish.

"You! you and Bennington's son are going to divide it between you!"

"Its no such thing," protested Stumpy. "I wish we were, though."

"Do you say you are not?"

"I do say so! Leopold thinks the money belongs to the heirs of the man
who buried it on the beach; and he is going to try to find them."

"That alters the case," replied the squire, more mildly. "I hope the
man's heirs will get the money for it belongs to them."

"I hope everybody will get what belongs to him," said Stumpy; but the
remark was too indefinite to be appreciated by his amiable grandfather.

"You have no right to a dollar of this money, Stumpy; and if you touch
it, I want you to understand that it will be stealing."

"I have nothing to do with the money. Le Bennington found it, and he
knows what to do with it. If he chooses to give me some of it, I will
take it fast enough."

Squire Moses and Ethan were both satisfied, so far as Stumpy was
concerned; and they were rejoiced to know that Leopold intended to keep
the gold until he could find the heirs of the man who had committed it
to the sand.

"Susan," said Squire Moses, as he turned to depart, "I told you that you
might stay in this house till the first of August; and so you may; but I
am going to foreclose the mortgage right off, so that I can get legal
possession sooner. It won't make any difference to you."

The old miser did not wait to hear any reply to this announcement; but
the tears dropped from the widow's eyes as the door closed upon the hard
old man. The squire and Ethan walked down to the main street, talking
with every one they met about the treasure, protesting that it ought to
be kept for the heirs of the rightful owner, and manufacturing public
sentiment which should compel the landlord of the Sea Cliff House and
his son to pursue this course. It is true that the people of Rockhaven
were very much surprised to hear Squire Moses and his son preaching such
a doctrine; but they were willing to accept it, for it seemed to be just
and right that the heirs should have what plainly belonged to them.

Unknown to them, and not