horse to a walk. He noticed an express-wagon in front of the gate, and two men carrying a small but heavy box in between them. He looked curiously at this, and the driver of the wagon, who remained on his seat, holding the horse said:
“Prob’ly you don’t know what’s in that box, bein’ a stranger in town?”
“No,” answered Carlos; “I certainly do not know what it contains.”
“Ha, ha! Thought so. Well, I’ll tell you. It’s gold.”
“Gold!”
“Yes. Colonel Conrad owns a mine out West, and about three times a year they send him a box full of gold. You saw, didn’t you, how strong the box was ironed together?”
“Yes, I noticed it.”
“There’s about thirty thousand dollars in it, I’m told.”
“Indeed!” laughed Carlos. “That’s more than one man deserves, I should think.”
And he whipped up his horse to a brisk trot, as he had by this time passed the expressman, and could only talk to him by dint of shouting.
We will pass by the visit of Carlos to Knoxtown, which was his destination, the concert, his enthusiastic admiration of the singer, and the general excitement of applause.
At a late hour in the night he set out on his return. It was starlight, and the air was sultry. He gave himself up to deep thought. What to conclude in regard to his uncle he knew not. He had been agreeably surprised at the reception he had received, for he had expected a storm of reproaches and immediate dismissal.
However, the fact that his uncle had since refused to see him, and at the same time had admitted Haywood, their common enemy, into his own private room, filled him with misgiving. Had he told Haywood the story, and shown the documents to him, so as to give him a chance to explain it all away? If the artful intriguer and mischief-maker were thus early to be allowed the opportunity to justify his conduct, and speciously smooth over his wrong-doing, then indeed had Carlos’ journey been in vain. Thus he thought,and his reflections made him gloomy as he sped on the road to Dalton.
It was past twelve o’clock when he came in sight of his uncle’s residence. It was but natural that he should drive more slowly, and look at the house and grounds.
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