ind was pretty fresh,
and I suppose the sparks caught on the dry board. It is clear enough to
me that no one set the house on fire."

"I suppose they didn't, then; but somebody stole my money. Mebbe you'll
prove that nobody didn't steal it."

"I am willing to take your word for that;" and the miser's visible
sufferings were all-sufficient to convince any person that the money
was gone, whether any one had stolen it or not.

Levi tried in vain to obtain a clew to the lost treasure. He knew of no
one that had visited the house during the fire who was bad enough to
steal, unless it was Dock Vincent; but it was not right to suspect even
him of the crime without some evidence. Neither Levi nor his uncle saw
how Dock could have taken off the board, removed the bags, and then
restored the covering, while there were so many people in the house.

Dock Vincent, after his discharge from the state prison, had gone to
New York, where he had been employed as the mate of a steamer. Six
months before the story opens, his brother, residing in Boston, had
died, and as the deceased had no family, his property, amounting to
twenty-one thousand dollars, had been equally divided among his two
brothers and one sister. Dock fully believed that seven thousand
dollars on Cape Ann would entirely wipe out the disgrace of having
served a term in the state prison, and he returned to Rockport, dressed
in a nice suit of black.

Dock was mistaken; seven thousand dollars would not varnish his
character so that good men would associate with him. He blustered and
swelled, and declared that he had been taken up for nothing; that this
was not a free country; and that he was a better man than thousands in
town who had never been to the state prison. He never forgave Levi for
thwarting his plans, and swore roundly that he would be the ruin of him
and of Mr. Watson.

The best friend Dock had was Nathan Fairfield, and the miser was not
willing to believe that Dock had robbed him of his gold. After Levi
went home that day, his uncle persisted that he had stolen the money.

CHAPTER IV.

THE PLANK OVER THE CHASM.

A week of indescribable misery to Nathan Fairfield passed away; but no
trace of the robber or the money had been obtained. The constables and
the deputy sheriff had visited the premises, and carefully considered
all the facts, without affording the miserable man a particle of
consolation. He groaned from morning till night, forlorn and