Tom Petty had been unable, in spite of his mother's commands, to keep the story of the strong box from the bank and Cap'n Jonah's securities to himself. He had related with much detail the story of his helping "Uncle Jonah tot up his fortune"--as Cap'n Jonah was quite sure he would despite his warning to the contrary--at the store, and Helmford had been present to hear it all. It would be too bald a thing, the latter told himself, now, to pay court to a girl who was the accredited heiress of such a fortune. But Joe Helmford fought these thoughts down--would not admit his growing interest in the girl, save at a time like this when Miss Sue's intuition had penetrated his guard. The repeated story of Cap'n Jonah's fortune buzzed through the neighborhood. It was whispered that there was much treasure in precious stones and hard cash in the box besides the securities. Everybody watched the next day for the return of Perry Baker, the expressman, for the strong box. It was known far and wide that Cap'n Jonah's valuables were to go back to the safety deposit vaults under the Paulmouth National Bank. When the important Perry drove up the Petty lane he had an ancient sawed-off shotgun on the seat beside him! He was taking no chances, as he frankly admitted to the assembled Petty family. "A feller axed a lift of me, comin' over from the station this mornin'," he said in a hushed tone. "I didn't know him. Stranger to me. Several suspicious looking characters 'round these parts lately. Make b'lieve they work in the cranberry bogs; but ye can't most always sometimes tell. "I borried this gun of Sile Peckham. It's loaded to the muzzle with slugs. I reckon on doin' some damage to airy highwayman that tries to hold me up, I vow to man!" "If it ever goes off at your shoulder, it'll prob'bly kick you across the road," remarked Cap'n Jonah, paying the expressman's fee. "Looks to me as though that gun had busted once, already. That's where Peckham had it strapped--see? You better give it to the highwayman, if you meet any. 'Twill prob'bly do more harm at the tail end than it does at the muzzle." No one could tell Perry Baker anything he did not want to know. He drove away with the strong box hidden under a blanket in the bottom of his wagon, and the old shotgun lying across his lap. "Talk about the Wild West," chuckled Helmford to Pearl, "the Wild East--meaning Cape Cod--is wilder! Cardhaven puts it all over Crimson Gulch." At the Petty house there really was another topic of conversation discussed besides Cap'n Jonah's fortune. The Heaths and the Pettys to whom Sarah had written were coming to stay over Sunday with the branch residing on the Shell Road. They would arrive in two days--Solon Petty and his wife; Enoch Petty and his wife, and the twins, Apollo and Perseus Heath, and their wives. Four couples--and Sarah was just as busy as a hen on a hot griddle (so Orrin said) preparing for the influx of guests.