n those whom I employ."

Don felt hot and cold as his uncle walked to the door and called Jem;
and as he waited he looked at the map of an estate in the West Indies,
all fly-specked and yellow, then at the portraits of three merchant
vessels in full sail, all as yellow and fly-specked as the map, and
showing the peculiarity emphasised by the ingenious artist, of their
sails blown out one way and their house flags another.

"Surely uncle can't suspect me," he said to himself; and then the
thought came again--"surely uncle can't suspect me."

"Come in here, Wimble," said Uncle Josiah, very sternly.

Jem took off his hat, and followed him into the office.

"Some money is missing from my desk, Wimble. Have you seen it?"

"Me, sir?" said Jem, stooping down and peering in all directions under
the desks. "No, sir, I harn't seen it. Let's see, I don't think I've
been here only when I locked up."

"By some mischance I left my desk unlocked when I went out in a hurry
yesterday. Lindon here has found one piece on the floor."

"P'r'aps tothers is there, too," said Jem eagerly.

"No; we have looked. Call your wife. Perhaps she may have found them
when sweeping."

"Not she, sir," said Jem. "If she had she'd ha' told me. 'Sides, how
could they ha' got on the floor?"

"That remains to be proved, Wimble," said Uncle Josiah, drily. "Call
your wife."

Jem went to the door, rubbing his ear, and as it happened, seeing his
wife outside the cottage, telegraphed to her to come by working one arm
about furiously.

Little Mrs Wimble came up in a hurry, looking scared.

"Take off that there dirty apron," whispered Jem, making a dash at the
offending garment, and snatching back his hand bleeding from the scratch
of the pin by which it was fastened.

"Look at that," he began.

"Then you shouldn't--"

"Silence!" said Uncle Josiah. "Mrs Wimble, did you sweep up this room
to-day?"

"That I did, sir, and dusted too, and if there's any dust, it must be
an--"

"Hush! Don't talk so. Listen to me. Did you find any money on the
floor?"

"Sakes alive, sir, no."

"You are quite sure?"

"Oh yes, sir, quite sure. Have you dropped anything?"

"Yes! No! That will do."

Mrs Wimble stared.

"Don't you hear?" whispered Jem. "Be off!"

The little woman gave him an angry look, and then hurried from the
office, looking put out and hurt.

"This money must be found," said Uncle Josiah sternly, as soon as they
were al