"We'll drop it down to you, and you can tie it to the
box. Then you can come up on the rope yourself."

This was soon done, and a little later Sandy was standing beside his
aged parents, showing them the find.

"It's money--real money!" he cried. "The money Uncle Isaac owes us.
Now we can pay off the mortgage on the farm. You won't have t' move
off th' farm!--Pop--Mom! You can stay here!"

"Praise the Lord!" cried the farmer, reverently. "My prayer has been
granted; I can die on the old place!"

"Why, Pa, don't talk about dyin' now!" protested Mrs. Apgar, through
her tears. "We're goin' t' live--live on th' old place!"

"That's what we be!" he cried.

A close examination of the contents of the box disclosed the fact
that it contained considerable wealth. There were some bonds and
stocks, as well as a large sum in cash. At least five thousand
dollars of this belonged to the Apgars, representing the loan they
had made to Uncle Isaac. And as he left no other heirs, eventually
the entire wealth would come to the farmer.

"This has been a lucky day for us!" exclaimed Sandy, as he put the
wealth in a secure place in the house.

"Well, it will be an unlucky one for us, if we don't get this fire
film," remarked Mr. Pertell, half humorously.

"Just so," returned Russ.

There was much discussion over the find, and then an examination was
made of the secret room. From within the sliding panel door, by which
entrance was gained, could easily be seen. But outside, it was so
well hidden that it is doubtful if anyone but one who knew the trick
could have found it.

Mr. Apgar recalled that the barn stood on the farm when he had
purchased the estate years before. It had belonged to an eccentric
man, and there was little doubt that he had built the secret room for
his own use--though what it was could only be guessed.

"And Uncle Isaac must have discovered the hidden door when he was out
here in the barn so much," said Sandy. "Lunatics are cunning,
sometimes, I've heard. He probably found th' place and kept it to
himself, as a good place to hide his valuables.

"That's why he spent so much time out here. I used to wonder
sometimes, at having him appear from inside the old barn, when I
never suspected he was on hand. He was in this room, all right."

"It certainly was a good hiding place," agreed Mr. Pertell. "It was
lucky he did not shut himself up and die in here, or you would never
have known where to look for him. H