This arranged, I walked boldly up to the mill door and entered. Mr. Norton was nowhere to be seen; but an instant later he appeared with a flushed face. “Oh, so you’ve concluded to come back,” he said. “I didn’t intend to stay away for good,” I replied, as lightly as possible, though I watched him closely. “Have you seen the squire?” I paid no attention to this question, and presently he repeated it. “I was at the squire’s house,” I responded. “And what did he say?” asked Mr. Norton, though he did not appear to be as much interested as I supposed would be likely. I pretended not to hear, and passed into the living room. Here on the table everything remained just as I had left it. Mr. Norton had evidently no appetite for breakfast. “Did you hear my question?” he demanded. “I heard it.” “Why don’t you answer then?” “Because I don’t choose to do so.” I expected this would bring out another storm of passion. But I was mistaken. Mr. Norton merely shut his mouth hard, and walked up and down the room. “Reuben, you are smarter than I thought you were,” he said presently. “I thought you were a mere backwoods boy, but I find I am mistaken.” “Do you want your breakfast, sir?” “No; I’m not hungry. You sit down and eat.” I did so, and he walked around and eyed me curiously. “Reuben, your father died rather poor,” he continued. “He was a hard worker, but he didn’t know how to manage.” “It was the hard times, and not the managing,” I put in, eager to defend the parent I had just lost. “When your father fell over the ravine, he and I were just getting ready to make a pile of money,” went on Mr. Norton slowly. “If he had lived two months longer he would have been a rich man.” In my wonder at this statement I stopped eating at once. “You must be joking,” I cried. “No; it’s the sober truth. We had all our plans ready when your father’s death upset everything. It was a splendid scheme, and only needed a little nerve to carry it out.” “And what kind of a scheme was it?” I asked eagerly, for this news was totally new to me. “It’s the same one mentioned in those letters in my valise,” replied Mr. Norton. CHAPTER XIV. MR. NORTON’S STATEMENT. I was more mystified than ever. Evidently Mr. Norton still supposed that I had taken his bag and examined its contents. “What was the scheme?” “Didn’t you read the letters?” “I didn’t even see them. Carney has the valise, as well as the other things; and if you want to get the stuff back you had better go after him.” “You still stick to that statement?” “Of course, for it’s the truth.” Mr. Norton drew a long breath. I felt pretty certain that at last he believed me. “Well, if Carney did really steal the bag, why didn’t you stop him?” “I couldn’t. He had a pistol, and he threatened to shoot me if I moved out of the chair.” “I ought to get that bag back,” he went on, with a decided shake of his head.