THE LOST MINE


Gurdon nodded thoughtfully. He was trying to piece the puzzle together in
his mind, but so far without success. He was not in the least surprised
to find that Venner had guessed correctly.

"You've got it exactly," he said. "That is just what the gruesome thing
is. What does it all mean?"

By this time dinner had long been a thing of the past, and all the guests
had departed. Here and there the lights were turned down, leaving half
the room in semi-darkness. It was just the time and place for an exchange
of confidences.

"How did you know exactly what was in that box?" Gurdon asked. "I have
read things of this kind before, but they have generally taken the form
of a warning previous to some act of vengeance."

"As a matter of fact, this is something of the same kind," Venner said;
"though I am bound to say that my guess was somewhat in the nature of a
shot. Still, putting two and two together, I felt that I could not have
been far wrong. Since I have been here this evening, I have begun to form
a pretty shrewd opinion as to where Fenwick gets his money."

"What shall we do with that box?" Gurdon asked.

"Leave it where it is, by all means. You may depend upon it that Fenwick
will return for his lost property."