"Uncle, you said my father's watch was stolen? Was it not in the iron safe, with the other articles?" asked Emily, timidly.
"It was," replied Jaspar, coldly.
"How did he open it?" interrogated Mr. Faxon, taking up the suggestion of Emily.
"Did Hatchie return the keys to you last night?" asked Jaspar of Emily, promptly.
"He did not," replied she.
"I sent for them to put a note in its place, and sent them back by him immediately. The fellow stood by when I opened the safe, and must have witnessed its contents. You can judge how he opened it now," returned Jaspar, with a sneer, well pleased that he had foiled their inquiries.
"You say that the canoe in which he was making his escape came ashore. Where is it now? No canoe belongs to the estate."
"There is not," said Jaspar, uneasily.
"Perhaps an examination of it will disclose something of the robber, if not of the will."
"So I thought this morning, and for this purpose went to the river, but the canoe was not to be found. I did not secure it last night, and probably it broke adrift and went down," replied Jaspar, whose ingenuity never deserted him.