ad to accept the invitation,
for he's been having a few experiences of his own.

"Now, Mr. Carter, you and I believe that these things are done by some
clever trickster. It may be that some bogus medium who used to get the
colonel's good money away from him, wants more of it, and is taking this
means of driving my uncle back to the fold of true believers.

"I'm beginning to believe that that may be the fact. But whatever it is,
the case is almighty serious.

"Here's a nice old man, living happily, and gradually getting away from
his delusion. Here's an agent of the devil trying to drive this old man
back to his delusion, and make a lunatic of him, for that's what the
doctor says will certainly happen.

"I say it's too bad, not to mention the jewels at all. Now, what are we
going to do about it?"

"Catch the rascal," said Nick, promptly, "and catch him mighty quick."

"Well, I hope you'll succeed. I tell you, Mr. Carter, I feel toward
Colonel Richmond all the affection that I would give my father, if he
were alive, and I can't bear to see him driven out of his wits in this
infernal way."

"Have no fear," said Nick; "we'll save him. This trickery with the
servants may give us a chance to catch our man."

They returned to the parlor in the new part of the house.

Colonel Richmond was not there.

"Where is he?" asked Horace, anxiously, of Mrs. Pond.

"He has gone to his room. He said that the excitement of this affair had
worn him out completely."

Horace looked relieved.

Nick said that he, too, would go to his room.

He went, but he did not remain long in it. He had a fancy for a quiet
stroll around the house on the outside. It would be interesting to know
whether anybody entered or left it during the night.

One of the secret passages of the old house communicated with a sort of
tunnel, which had its outer extremity in an old well about twenty yards
away. This tunnel had caved in long before, but had been restored by
Colonel Richmond, who wished to preserve all the old-time peculiarities
of the place.

The inner end of it had been closed by a strong door, so as to prevent
anybody who might have the secret from entering in that way, but Nick
was strongly of the opinion that it would not keep out the persons who
were "haunting" the house in case they desired to come in.

If anybody was going in and out secretly this seemed to be the readiest
way, so Nick had resolved to watch the well that night.

A