two reasons. First, I had no other home; next, I had become acquainted
with the secrets of the house, and they would have feared that I would
reveal them. I should incur great risk. So I stayed."

Here there was a sound below. The woman started.

"Some one has come," she said. "I must go down I will come up as soon as
I can with the rest of your supper."

"Thank you. You need not hurry."

Our hero was left to ponder over what he had heard. There was evidently
a mystery connected with this lonely house a mystery which he very much
desired to solve. But there was one chance. Through the aperture in the
closet he might both see and hear something, provided any should meet
there that evening.

The remainder of his supper was brought him by the same woman, but she
was in haste, and he obtained no opportunity of exchanging another word
with her.

Frank did not learn who it was that had arrived. Listening intently, he
thought he heard some sounds in the next room. Opening the closet door,
and applying his eye to the aperture, he saw two men seated in the room,
one of whom was the man who had brought him there.

He applied his ear to the opening, and heard the following conversation:

"I hear you've brought a boy here, Nathan," said the other, who was a
stout, low-browed man, with an evil look.

"Yes," said Graves, with a smile; "I am going to board him here a
while."

"What's it all about? What are you going to gain by it?"

"I'll tell you all I know. I've known something of the family for a long
time. John Wade employed me long ago. The old millionaire had a son
who went abroad and died there. His cousin, John Wade, brought home his
son--a mere baby--the old man's grandson, of course, and sole heir, or
likely to be, to the old man's wealth, if he had lived. In that case,
John Wade would have been left out in the cold, or put off with a small
bequest."

"Yes. Did the boy live?"

"No; he died, very conveniently for John Wade, and thus removed the only
obstacle from his path."

"Very convenient. Do you think there was any foul play?"

"There may have been."

"But I should think the old man would have suspected."

"He was away at the time. When he returned to the city, he heard from
his nephew that the boy was dead. It was a great blow to him, of course.
Now, I'll tell you what," said Graves, sinking his voice so that Frank
found it difficult to hear, "I'll tell you what I've thought at times."

"I think