“I guess—I don’t mind,” said she, thoughtfully. “It has connection.”
“Is it—— Of course refuse to answer if you wish, with the assurance that there can be no hard feelings between us. Is it, just possibly, buried treasure?”
“Just possibly it is.”
“Central Park, if piled up with hay, would be a right sizeable stack. By comparison, any treasure which might have been contained within that snuff-box would be needle-sized.”
The girl looked intolerant, as if at stupidity on his part.
“The treasure which I hope to unbury before those grave-diggers you saw can unearth it for some one not entitled to it is larger than all the park.”
Even at this, Pape didn’t doubt her entire sanity. She had mentioned a cryptogram; merely was being a bit cryptic herself.
“I see,” he assured her.
“I hope you don’t,” she assured him.
“That,” he finished, “you don’t trust me.”