"Wal, sir!" continued Cap'n Abe, smiling broadly, "on the face of 'em them papers made out Uncle Joe Hanna to have been a regular miser. He'd hid away securities and deeds wuth a scand'lous amount. Hi-mighty! It struck Arad Peck all aback. "Then he begun to go through 'em, and sift 'em out, and make comparisons, and he found out them valu'bles of Uncle Joe's was wuth jest a cent an' a ha'f a pound. Waste paper brung a purty good price at that time." "Whatever!" ejaculated the single listener unfamiliar with the denouement of the story. "Wuthless?" "'Ceptin' to the junkman," chuckled Cap'n Abe. "Seems Uncle Joe had found them ancient and useless dockyments in an old safe he'd bought and cleaned out one time. They was a collection of certificates and deeds and sich that never had been wuth more than ten per cent. of their face value, in all probability, and had been deteriorating since the year one. "But they sarved," concluded the narrator, "to gull the Coffinses nicely. Paid Jonathan up for overreachin' Uncle Joe. He played a trick on 'em that I dunno as the parsons would approve; but as I see it, they was sarved right." Cap'n Abe went around behind the counter again and an audible sigh of relief was expelled by most of his audience. By all but Cap'n Jonah. He remained in a reflective mood. Suddenly, as the hum of general conversation rose again about the stove, Cap'n Jonah slapped his leg heartily. "Whatever!" he ejaculated. "See the p'int, Cap'n Hand?" asked the storekeeper slyly. "Whatever!" repeated Cap'n Jonah. "I sh'd say I do!" CHAPTER XVII THE STRONG BOX Perry Baker, the cadaverous expressman, whose ancient gray horse immediately went to sleep standing in the shafts when his master drew up before any destination, had occasion a day or two later to pass Eliphalet Truitt's door. The ex-steward was pottering about his tiny front yard in the frosty air. "How be ye, 'Liphalet?" demanded Perry, with frank curiosity. "How ye feelin'? Huldy heard you wasn't right chipper and she wanted I sh'd ask." "By Hannah!" snapped the taut little man, his face flaming redder than usual. "Who says I'm sick, I'd like to know?" "Why, Doc Ambrose, I b'lieve, said you was out of kilter," said the astonished Perry, for 'Liphalet was usually the gentlest of men. "Ain't you?" "No, I ain't!" replied 'Liphalet ungraciously. "Ain't nothin' the matter with me except the curiosity of my friends; an' that's struck in! What ye got for me?" Perry began to grin more broadly. Cap'n Abe said, "Perry Baker couldn't drink tea out of a saucer without scalding his ears!" 'Liphalet watched the expressman now with apprehension, seemingly expecting to see the ears engulfed within the cavity of Perry's enormous mouth. "I vow to man! did you expec' anything, 'Liphalet?" he finally gurgled. "Warn't lookin' for no Christmas gif', was ye?"