special oak tree and fir tree,
or trees. I think, too, he left, or meant to leave some more of his
poetry to tell which trees, but owing to his sudden taking off, he didn't
do this."

"Sinclair," said Bob, "as our American friend, Mr. Dooley, says, 'Yer
opinions is inthrestin', but not convincin'.' As opinions, they're fine;
but I wish I had some facts. If uncle had only left a cryptogram or a
cipher, I'd like it better than all that rhymed foolishness."

"Perhaps it isn't foolishness," said Patty; "I think, with Sinclair, it's
likely Mr. Marmaduke wrote the indoor one first, and then changed the
hiding-place and wrote the other. But how could he do all this hiding and
rehiding without being seen?"

"I went up to London every season," said Mrs. Cromarty; "and, of course,
took Emmeline with me. Marmaduke always stayed here, and thus had ample
opportunity to do what he would. Indeed, he usually had great goings-on
while we were away. One year, he had the Italian garden laid out. Another
year, he had a new porter's lodge built. This was done the last year of
his life, and as he had masons around so much at that time, repairing the
cellars and all that, we thought later, that he might have had a
hiding-place arranged in the wall behind the head of his bed. But, if so,
we never could find it."

"And have you dug under the trees much?" persisted Patty, who could not
accept the hopelessness of the others.

"Dug!" exclaimed Bob, "I've blistered my hands by the hour. I've viewed
fir trees and oaks, until I know every one on the place by heart. I've
trudged a line from oaks to firs, and starting in the middle, I've dug
both ways. But I'm nearly ready to give up. Not quite, though. I'm making
a thorough search of all the books in the library, on the chance of
finding some other message. But there are such a lot of books! I've been
at it for three years now, off and on, and I'm only three-quarters way
round. And not a paper yet, except a few old letters and bills."

"I'll help you, Bob," said Patty; "oh, I'd love to do something toward
the search, even if I don't find a thing. I'll begin to-morrow. You tell
me what books you've done."

"I will, indeed. I'll be jolly glad to have help. And you can do as much
as you like, before your young enthusiasm wears off."

"I'll do it, gladly," said Patty, and then they discovered that the
evening had flown away, and it was bedtime.

As they went upstairs, Mabel followed Patty to her