“It looks like a gold coin, Grandfather!” exclaimed Ethel Brown.

“That’s just what it is.  A guinea.  Its date is 1762.  Where did you find it, Ayleesabet?” he asked the child, who was reaching up her tiny hands for the return of her new plaything.

“Here, here,” she answered, pointing to the floor where the casing of the chimney yawned from the planks for half an inch.  “Here,” and she pushed her fingers into the crack.

“I saw her pull something that was sticking out of there a little bit,” said Dorothy, “but I was interested in what Mr. Emerson was saying and I didn’t pay much attention to what she was doing.”

Miss Merriam took Elisabeth on her lap and peered between her lips to make sure that no dirt from the floor was visible.  Then she took a small emergency kit from her pocket, extracted a bit of sterile gauze and wiped out the little pink mouth.

“I live in hopes that the day will come when she’ll outgrow her desire to test everything with her mouth,” she remarked amusedly.

“Is it guineas ye’re speaking about?” asked Moya.  “Perhaps ’twas a guinea young Vladdy the Russian found this morning.  He said he found a ‘shiny thing.’  I thought ’twas one of thim cartridges, like I found myself.”

“Another shiny thing?  What did he do with it?  Let’s see it?” demanded Mr. Emerson.

“He said he gave it to a man in the road and the man gave him a handful of ten-cent pieces and nickels.  There was forty cents of it.  I heard Mrs. Vereshchagin counting ’em.”

“Forty cents!  It must have been a valuable shiny thing that a man in the road would give a child forty cents for.  He knew its value.  I should say Vladimir and Elisabeth had tapped the same till.  Helen, go and see if you can find out anything more from the child or his mother.  And Roger, get a chisel and hammer and hatchet and perhaps you and Mr. Schuler and I can take down these boards and see what there is to see behind them.”

“Wouldn’t it be thrilling if there should be a hidden treasure!” exclaimed Ethel Blue.  “Aren’t you shivering all over with excitement, Miss Gertrude?”

Meanwhile Roger and his grandfather were prying off the boards that covered in the chimney on the right side and supported the mantel-shelf.  As it fell back into their hands two more gold coins tumbled to the floor.

“Just take off this narrow plank, Roger and let me squint in there.  Stand back, please, all of you, and let us have as much light as we can.”

“I have a flashlight,” said Mr. Schuler.

“Just the ticket.  Now, then—­,” and Mr. Emerson kneeled down, peering into the space that was disclosed when the boards fell away.  “I see something; I certainly see something,” he cried as the electricity searched into the darkness.  He thrust in his arm but the something was too far off.

“Take my crutch,” suggested Mr. Schuler.