it seems so hard, so brutal to say such a thing when perhaps it is
all imagination, and due perhaps to one's not liking some one else."

"True, Tom," said Uncle Richard gravely; "but we must have out the
truth. Come, I'll help you, for I'm afraid I think as you do--you fancy
it was your cousin Sam?"

Tom nodded quickly.

"Why?"

Tom tightened his lips as if saying, "I won't speak," but his uncle's
eyes were searching him, and in a slow, faltering way he said--

"I don't think Pete Warboys would break in here to steal valuable
papers, uncle."

"No; it hardly seems likely, Tom. Go on."

"And--and I thought--must I go on, uncle?"

"Yes, boy, to the bitter end," said his uncle sternly.

"I thought, uncle, that as Uncle James had given me those papers, which
made me rich instead of him, my cousin Sam had felt disappointed, and
come down here at night, asked Pete Warboys to help him--"

"But he did not know Pete Warboys."

"Only a little, uncle; he had seen him. He might have asked him to get
him the ladder."

"Might, Tom; but that looks doubtful. Well?"

"And then, as I could not find out that anything else was stolen--or
taken," said Tom, correcting himself, "except those papers, I thought
that it must have been Cousin Sam."

"Nothing else stolen but those papers?--you mean the packet you saw me
put in the drawer here?"

"Yes, uncle, in the big envelope. There was nothing else taken but
them, and some of the other papers."

"Sure, Tom?"

"Yes, quite sure, uncle; and this made me think that nobody else was
likely to take them--nobody else would care to do such a thing. But,
uncle--"

"Yes."

"I don't think I mind much. I never expected to have any money, except
what I could earn for myself; and if it was Sam--"

"What, who came and broke open this bureau like any burglar would?"

"Yes, uncle," said Tom sadly; "if you too really think it was Sam."

"Stop a moment, boy. Had your cousin any notion as to what was kept in
that bureau?"

"I'm afraid so, uncle. When he came down here, and I took him about and
showed him the place, I remember he asked me what was kept there, and I
said you kept your valuable papers there."

"Humph!" ejaculated Uncle Richard.

"But if you do think it could have been Sam--"

"Stop again, sir," cried Uncle Richard; "are you keeping anything back?
Are you sure that you did not recognise him by some word, or when you
were near the window? Did you not get a gl