Helen's face fell and her eyes filled with tears. "I'm afraid father" she said "we shall have to refuse them, for if the attic has to be used I certainly have no money to furnish it with and I know you have not." "Don't make too sure my lass" said her father, "wait a little." He got up as he spoke and taking a small key from his pocket went towards the left hand corner of the mantlepiece. "Come closer Helen, come closer," he said keeping his eyes on his daughter. Helen followed her father closely, her eyes with a startled expression in them and her lips quivering with emotion. Mr. Winston lifted a portion of the red velvit curtain which screaned the fire place, and then to Helen said: "Do you notice anything peculiar about this part of the wall, my child." "No father, except that there is a little hole just in the middle," replied Helen. "Ah! you notice that?" said Mr. Winston. "Yes" said Helen under her breath. "Now watch me" said Mr. Winston. Helen needed no second bidding; her eyes seemed riveted to the little hole. Mr. Winston placed the key into the hole and turned it twice round. Immeadiately a little spring door flew open displaying two well constructed shelves of solid oak. "This is my secret safe," said Mr. Winston, "known to no one but myself." "Father!" cried Helen catching hold of his arm. "Don't get excited, Helen" said her father. "I am going to disclose all the secrets of this safe to you. Do you perceive that the top shelf is faced in by a thin wire gauze with a handle to the left hand side?" "Yes father" replied Helen. "Well, nobody can get at the contents of that shelf without my knowing it." "Why father?" asked Helen. "Because there are two ways of opening it. Try to open it yourself and then I will explain it to you" said Mr. Winston. Helen with nervous fingers took hold of the handle and turned it; the gauze door flew open and at the same time a bell began to ring loud and furiously. Helen drew back in amazement. Cant Marshland hear it. "Why doesn't she come up" asked Helen. "She would not trouble to come up for she knows my secret" said Mr. Winston. "Oh! I see" said Helen. "Well to proceed" said Mr. Winston. "If Marshland or I heard that bell we should know the safe was being robbed and come up at once." "Of course" said Helen. "But there is another way of opening the safe known only to me" said Mr. Winston closing the gauze door; try any way you like to open that door I don't think you will find the right way." Helen pushed and banged at the door trying every way, but in vain, the door would not move. "Now I will show the right way," said Mr. Winston, as he spoke he placed his thumb on a brass nail and the gauze door rose, instead of opening, and without any noise displayed the contents of the secret safe. "How wonderfull" said Helen. "Would you like to see the contents?" said Mr. Winston. "Oh! yes father" replied Helen. Mr. Winston put his hand on the shelf and brought out a leather bag.