When I awoke it was sunrise, and the light was streaming into the window and across the floor. I jumped to my feet; and as I did so, a small stone of peculiar brilliancy, lying on the floor, attracted my attention. I picked the stone up and examined it. If it was not a diamond, it was a fine imitation, I wondered from whence it had come. I could remember of no one about the mill having a diamond. To my knowledge Mr. Norton did not wear any such expensive ornament. The only man I knew of in the vicinity who sported such a stone was Mr. Jackson, the storekeeper, and on his visit to the mill he had not been near the living-room. I gave the stone a second examination. As I did so I heard a footstep outside and slipped the thing into my pocket. The next moment Mr. Norton came into the room from the sleeping apartment beyond. His face was pale and I wondered when he had come in, and if he had slept much. “Woke up, have you?” he exclaimed. “’Tain’t a very nice place to go to sleep in.” “I found the chair very comfortable,” I returned, trying to determine what would be best to say in regard to the robbery. “Why didn’t you go to bed?” “I didn’t get a chance. I――” “Never mind with your excuses. Have you got breakfast ready?” “No, sir; but I soon will have.” Mr. Norton took a pull from the flask he always kept in his pocket, and then got out his pipe and fell to smoking. I set the table in silence and started to make the coffee. I noticed he was very uneasy, and looked at me half a dozen times rather curiously. Presently his eye wandered over to where his valise had stood and he noticed that the bag was missing. “What have you done with my grip?” he asked. “It was stolen last night,” I said, as steadily as I could. “Stolen!” “Yes, sir.” “You can’t mean it!” he ejaculated, facing me with a look of horror on his face. “It was stolen, and so were a lot of other things.” “Boy, you lie!” “It’s the truth.” “I don’t believe a word of it!” gasped Mr. Norton, catching his breath. I could see that he was fearfully agitated, and wondered what the valise could have contained. “I tell the truth. It was stolen along with a lot of other things that belonged to the mill. Andy――” “You can’t fool me!” shouted Mr. Norton. “You have taken those things away yourself. I thought from the start that you might be deeper than you appeared, and now I’m sure of it. I was a fool to be taken in. Tell me this instant everything you have found out!” CHAPTER XIII. AT SQUIRE SLOCUM’S HOUSE. It was evident that Mr. Enos Norton was terribly in earnest. Compared with his present state, his former anger appeared as child’s play. “I have told you the exact truth,” I replied. “Andy Carney came in here last night and stole the things.” “Andy Carney! The man you say stole the boat?” “Yes, sir.” Mr. Norton was silent for a moment.