ers, I believe I can reach it right enough."

The experiment was tried, but the beam was still just out of reach of
Guy's hand.

"I'll tell you what we can do," he said; "turn the chest up on end, and
that'll make it higher."

As Guy moved the box into the required position there was an audible
rustle and bump.

"Hullo, there's something inside!" he exclaimed.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER X.

ELSIE'S CONFESSION.

"Something inside!" exclaimed Ida, as the trio stood for a moment
staring at Uncle Roger's box.

"Yes," answered her brother. "Didn't you hear it move? You listen; I'll
do it again."

There was not the slightest doubt that the chest was no longer empty.

"But it's locked," said Ida, "and has been ever since the evening when
it was first opened; and father has the keys of the two padlocks."

"Well, it's not empty now," returned her brother. "I say, I wonder what
on earth it can be? Let's go in and ask mother if she put anything
inside."

The air-pistol was forgotten, and the party at once adjourned to
the house to make further inquiries. They found Mrs. Ormond in the
dining-room, but she was unable to throw any light on the subject.

"Neither your father nor I put anything into the box," she said. "It was
locked up and taken straight out into the tool-house. Of course, he may
have put something in since, but I think it hardly likely."

"But what can it be then, mother?" exclaimed Ida anxiously.

"I'm sure I don't know," was the answer. "You'll have to wait till your
father returns before you can find out, for he has got the keys of the
padlocks on his bunch."

"When will he be back?"

"Not before seven o'clock, I expect."

"Oh, bother!" cried Guy. "Fancy having to wait all that time!"

There was no alternative but to curb their impatience as best they
might, and the young people strolled back to the tool-house to have
another look at the chest.

"Listen while I turn it up," said Guy, "and see if we can guess what's
inside."

It was impossible to determine the contents of the box in this manner.

"I should think it was a parcel of some kind," said Ida. "You'd better
not do that any more, Guy. It may be something that will break if it's
rolled and banged about."

"Whatever it is," remarked Brian, "I expect uncle put it inside before
he locked the box again."

"But mother said he didn't," persisted Guy. "I do believe the old thing
is bewitched. First, after it's been locked an