“Oh, Uncle! how did you know he had it?”

“I’ve been suspicious.  He couldn’t scarce keep it to hisself.  He ain’t opened it, I see.”

“I don’t think he has.”

“We’ll see.  Tell me about it,” urged the miller, staring at Helen and Tom as they approached.

Ruth told him all about it.  She pointed, too, to the fact that Helen and Tom—­ and especially Tom’s dog—­ had had more to do with the recovery of the cash-box than she had.  Uncle Jabez listened and nodded as though he appreciated that fact.  Meanwhile, however, he hunted up the key to the japanned box and unlocked it.

It was plain that the contents of the box were for the most part securities in the shape of stocks and bonds, with a good deal of currency in small notes.  There was a little coin—­ gold and silver—­ packed into one compartment.  Uncle Jabez counted it all with feverish anxiety.

“Right to a penny!” he gasped, when he had finished, and mopped the perspiration from his brow.  “The rascal didn’t touch it.  He didn’t dare!”

“But he’ll dare something else, Uncle,” said Ruth, hastily.  “I believe he’s going right to Mr. Cameron to make you trouble.”

“Ah-ha!” exclaimed Uncle Jabez, and looked hard at Tom.

“I’m sorry if he makes trouble about that old thing, Mr. Potter,” said Tom, stumblingly.  “I’ve tried to keep his mouth shut—­”

“Ah-ha!” said Uncle Jabez, again.  Then he added:  “And I shouldn’t be at all surprised, young man, if you’d given Jasper money to keep his mouth shut—­ eh?”

Tom flushed and nodded “I didn’t want any row—­ especially when Helen and I think so much of Ruth.”

“You wouldn’t have bought Jasper off for my sake, I reckon,” said Jabez, sharply.  “You wouldn’t have done it for my sake?”

“Why should I?” returned Tom, coolly.  “You never have been any too friendly towards me.”

“Hah!” said the miller, nodding.  “That’s true.  But let me tell you, young man, that I saw your father about the time I ran you down.  We don’t get along very well, I admit.  I ain’t got much use for you Camerons.  But I had no intention of doing you harm.  You can believe that, or not.  If you will remember, the evening you went over that embankment on the Wilkins Corners road, I came up behind you.  My mules were young, and your dog jumped out at them and scared them.  They bolted, and I never knew till next day that you had been knocked over the embankment.”

“We’ll let bygones be bygones, Mr. Potter,” said Tom, good-humoredly.  “I came out of it all right.”

“But you had no business to pay Jasper Parloe money for keeping still about it,” said the miller, sourly.  “Being bled by a blackmailer is never the action of a wise man.  When he threatened me I went to your father at once and got ahead of Parloe.  We agreed to say nothing about it—­ that’s about all we did agree on, however,” added Mr. Potter, grimly.  “Now you children run along.  Ruth, come here.  I figger I owe you something because of the finding of this box.  Yes!  I know how much the others had to do with it, too.  But they’d never been over there in Olakah Glen if it hadn’t been for you.  I’ll make this up to you.  I never yet owed a debt that I didn’t repay in full.  I’ll remember this one, gal.”