"See! see!" he cried, running across to them and pointing back excitedly. "There it is! Didn't I tell you so?" And looking toward the back, they could plainly discern the queer, curved outline of the old stage, with a few cracked and tarnished bits of gilt cornice still clinging to it.
"But when are they going to reach the beams underneath?" demanded Margaret, in an excited whisper.
"Not before Monday! At least, they can't get to uncovering the ones we want before then. The rest are almost bare now."
"Oh! how can we wait till Monday!" wailed Margaret.
"I gave you the tip we might have to!" admonished Alexander. "You're entirely too light and speedy! You ought to go into the house-wrecking business yourself—then you'd see!"
The interval between Saturday and Monday seemed simply interminable to every one of the five. On Sunday, Alexander spent much time haunting the ruins, Corinne was obliged to be in her own home, Mrs. Bronson was visiting a sick friend, and Margaret and the twins, left alone, whispered together most of the day about the impending event.
"What do you suppose we'll find in that beam?" Margaret would inquire for the hundredth time.
"Probably nothing!" Bess would reply, for she was always inclined to look on the dark side of things.
"Oh, that's not possible!" Margaret would retort. "I think it may be some important papers. I don't expect there'll be gold, or jewels, or anything of that kind. But just suppose it was the sapphire signet!"
"Do you know, dear," said Jess, once, "I'd be pretty well satisfied if we even found just the hole! That would show, at least, that Alison's account was correct, and we had worked things out right, so far."