rom his pocket, and taking from it the roll of bills.

Squire Moses turned round, amazed at the announcement of his grandson,
and for the first time discovered the presence of Mr. Hamilton.

"I'm glad to see you, Mr. Hamilton," said he, extending his withered
hand to the merchant. "This is disagreeable business."

"I should think it was--to turn your son's widow out of house and home,"
replied the ex-congressman, dryly.

"The mortgage note has been due for years," pleaded the squire. "Of
course the widow can't pay it, and--"

"Yes, she can!" yelled Stumpy. "She never did get any favors from you,
and she don't ask for any now. Here's the seven hundred dollars. My
mother wants the note, and a release of the mortgage."

Squire Moses actually turned pale, as much from anger as from the
failure of a profitable operation for the future.

"I don't understand this," said he.

"Here's your money, when you give my mother the papers," replied Stumpy.
"That's easy enough to understand--isn't it?"

"Where did you get the money, Stumpy?" demanded the squire.

"That don't make any difference," added Stumpy, shaking his head.

"I don't think it does," interposed Mr. Hamilton. "The young man's
position appears to be quite correct."

Squire Moses looked at the merchant, and immediately concluded that this
rich New Yorker had advanced the money. He bit his lips till they bled,
but finally went off with Ethan and the lawyer, to procure the necessary
papers to discharge the mortgage.

"I don't understand it any better than Squire Moses," said Mrs.
Wormbury, when the hard creditor had gone.

"You will pay off the note, mother, with money earned by father's own
hands," replied Stumpy, gently.

"What do you mean, my son?" asked the widow, trembling with emotion.

Stumpy explained what he meant. Mrs. Wormbury listened, and wept when
she realized that her husband had perished in the waves, not on the
Georges, but within sight of his own home. The story was hardly finished
before Squire Moses returned alone, with the note and release. Mr.
Hamilton carefully examined the latter document, and declared that it
was correct.

"So it seems Joel was the passenger in the Waldo, who buried this
money," said the squire, as he put the bills in his pocket; for the
discovery made in the parlor of the Sea Cliff House was now following
the story of the hidden treasure up the main street.

"That's so," replied Stumpy; "and mother will always