for
the girl, if he has hidden her in this vicinity."

"Do you suppose he has gone?" asked Tom; and his tones indicated his
perplexity.

"I don't know; but you can't do anything till daylight, and I want to
talk with you about our affairs."

"Confound your affairs!" ejaculated Tom, petulantly. "I can't stop
to-night to talk about them. I came after the girl, and I must have her
too."

"Thomas, I can no longer endure this wasting anxiety," continued my
uncle, solemnly. "This boy haunts me by day and by night. I seldom sleep
an hour at a time. For your sake I am suffering all this; but you are
cold, distant, and harsh to me."

"What do you wish me to do, governor?" demanded the reckless son. "I
send you all the money you want."

"It is not money, but a clear conscience, that I need," groaned the
wretched old man. "I would rather live in abject poverty than purchase
plenty at such a fearful price."

"Don't be foolish, governor."

"I live in constant fear of the boy, especially since he questioned me,
months ago, about his parents and his property."

"Of course you told him he had no property."

"I did."

"Then it's all right. In the course of a week we will send him to New
Orleans. When he has gone you can change your residence, and he will
lose the track of you."

"Perhaps he will not be willing to go to New Orleans; he certainly will
not under such treatment as you bestow upon him. Thomas, my brother's
will--"

My uncle paused and looked at his son, as though in doubt whether to
finish the sentence he had begun.

"Well, what of the will?" demanded Tom, evincing more interest than he
had before exhibited. "Of course you destroyed that years ago?"

"No, Thomas, I dared not do such a thing," replied my uncle, in a hoarse
whisper.

"You did not!" exclaimed Tom. "Where is it? Let me have it!"

"No, Thomas, I dare not even yet destroy it," groaned the old man.

"This is madness!"

"Perhaps it is. I wished to talk with you about it. It is no longer safe
for me to keep it in the house."

"Why don't you burn it, then?"

"I dare not."

By this time I was so dizzy holding my head down, that I was obliged to
raise it. I was so giddy and confused that I came very near rolling off
the top of the bay window; and in my efforts to save myself, I made a
noise, which disturbed the conference. Tom and my uncle were alarmed. I
heard them rush out of the room. Without waiting to ascertain their
intentions, I pu