The Yacht Club | Page 6

with the doctor for a full hour upon poor

Michael, who at the end of that time opened his eyes, and soon declared
that he was "betther entirely." He insisted upon getting up, for it was
not "the likes of himself that was to lay there and have his honor
workin' over him." But the doctor and the nabob pacified him, and left
him, much improved, in the care of his wife.
"How is he, Dr. Wadman?" asked the sympathizing Nellie, as they
came down stairs together.
"He is decidedly better," replied the physician.
"Will he die?"
"O, no; I think not. His case looks very hopeful now."
"I thought folks always died with sun-stroke," said Nellie, more
cheerfully.
"No; not unless their heads are very soft," laughed the doctor.
"Well, I shouldn't think Laud Cavendish would dare to go out when the
sun shines," added the fair girl, with a snap of her bright eyes.
"It isn't quite safe for him to do so. Unfortunately, such people don't
know their own heads. I will come in again after tea," said the doctor,
as he went out of the house, at the front door; for he had not left his hat
in the library.
"I am so glad Michael is better!" continued Nellie. "When I saw him
drop, I felt as cold as ice, and I was afraid I should drop too before I
could get to the library."
"Did you see him fall, Nellie?" asked her father.
"Yes; he gave a kind of groan, and then fell; he was--"
"Gracious!" exclaimed Captain Patterdale, interrupting her all of a
sudden.

He turned on his heel, and walked rapidly into the library. Nellie was
startled, and was troubled with a suspicion that her father had a coup de
soleil, or coup de something-else; for he did not often do anything by
fits and starts. She followed him into the library. It was a fact that the
captain had left his hat there; but it was not for this article, so necessary
in a hot day, that he hastened thus abruptly into the room. Nellie found
him flying around the apartment in a high state of excitement for him.
He was looking anxiously about, and seemed to be very much
disturbed.
"What in the world is the matter, father?" asked Nellie.
"Where is your mother?"
"She has gone over to Mrs. Rodman's."
"Hasn't she been back?"
"No, certainly not; I was just going over to tell her what had happened
to Michael, when you came down."
"Who has been in here, Nellie?"
"I don't know that anybody has. I haven't seen any one. What's the
matter, father? what in the world has happened?"
"I left my tin box here when I went out to see to Michael, and now it is
gone," answered Captain Patterdale, anxiously. "I didn't know but that
your mother had come in and taken care of it."
"The tin box gone?" exclaimed Nellie. "Why, what can have become of
it?"
"That is just what I should like to know," added the captain, as he
renewed his search in the room for the treasure chest.
It was not in the library, and then he looked in the great hall and in the
little hall, in the drawing-room, the sitting-room, and the dining-room;
but it was not in any of these. He knew he had left it on the chair near

where he was sitting when he went out of the room. Then he examined
the spring-lock on the door of the library which led into the side street.
It was closed and securely fastened. The door shut itself with a patent
invention, and when shut it locked itself, so that anybody could get out,
but no one could get in unless admitted.
"Where were you when I was up stairs, Nellie?" asked Captain
Patterdale, as he seated himself in his arm-chair, to take a cool view of
the whole subject.
"I was in the hall most of the time," she replied.
"Who has been in the library?"
"Let me see; Laud Cavendish came down first, and went out through
the library."
The captain rubbed his bald head, and seemed to be asking himself
whether it was possible for Mr. Laud Cavendish to do so wicked a deed
as stealing that tin box. He did not believe the young swell had the
baseness or the daring to commit so great a crime. It might be, but he
could not think so.
"Who else has been in here?" he inquired, when he had hastily
considered all he knew about the moral character of Laud.
"That other man who was with you--I don't know his name--the one
that was here when I came in with Don John."
"Mr. Hasbrook."
"He went out through the library.