ion as you think he is."

"Don't you deceive yourself about that. He is just as sure that his
aunt's spirit removed those jewels as you are that that house is resting
on its foundations.

"And I wouldn't try to shake his belief just now," continued Horace,
seriously. "Simply say nothing about the affair this evening. Talk about
something else to him. Stay with us as long as you can, and quietly look
the ground over. Then tell me privately what you think."

This advice seemed good to Nick. He passed a quiet evening in the house,
and nobody but Mrs. Pond referred to the robberies. Horace managed to
quiet her quickly.

But the next morning after breakfast she came to Nick with a very long
face.

"My father has been talking to me," she said, "and I'm going to lose
those jewels surely, unless you do something and do it very quickly. I
don't care for their value, but they're mine by right, and I mean to
keep them if I can. But, of course, I can't bear to make my father's
life miserable. It will probably end by my compelling my husband to let
me give them up."

Nick had his doubts about the possibility of such a thing, and they were
made certainties very soon afterward.

Mr. Pond arrived unexpectedly. When the story was told him, he "danced
the war-dance," as our young friend Patsy might have expressed it.

"You don't seem to realize the importance of this matter," he exclaimed.
"Why, it's a million-dollar robbery, that's what it is! If we give up
the jewels, the colonel will give us their value. By jingo, he'll have
to.

"Well, what's that but the theft of a million from him?"

Nick was compelled to confess that it was just that, and nothing else.

"And who'll reap the proceeds?" continued Pond. "Why, the Stevenses, of
course. Nobody else gets anything out of it. They're playing on the
colonel's superstitions for a million dollar stake.

"Now, Mr. Carter, you go ahead and work this thing out. Catch the thief.
Don't let the colonel get you out of the way. If there's a question of
money, I'm good for the best fee you can name."

Nick's first move that day was to go to Mrs. Stevens' house.

She lived well on her small income. It was a nice old country-house,
with grounds of considerable extent, and a stable in which two good
horses were kept.

Nick rode over there on one of Colonel Richmond's fine saddle-horses.

As the detective rode up the winding, shaded walk toward the house, he
noticed a man-servant just