Augusta Huiell Seaman

“ But I am going to ask thee to do me a great favor. Promise me that thee will say nothing about this—this affair of the hole in the wainscot to any one. For—”
“But I’ve already told Connie!” I interrupted.
“That will not matter, for she will keep it secret too. None know about it except ourselves—and Tomkins. I wish no others to know. I have been much upset by this affair—Connie's fall and—and this discovery, and I know thee will forgive me for—for my reticence?”
“Why, of course, dear Uncle Benham!” I cried. “It’s all right and, you can depend upon it, Connie and I won’t say a word! ”

“ And then I remembered that I couldn’t talk it over with her, at least the most mysterious and exciting part of it, because of my promise to Uncle Benham, and it made me feel queer.
“Well,” I thought, “at least to-morrow, when I go over to see Connie, I’ll get a chance to discuss the strange affair—that is, if Miss Carstair will only leave us alone.” ”

“ Before I left, however, one thing more happened that added to the mystery of the affair. On the way downstairs, I encountered Tomkins with a kit of carpentering tools and some boards, busily engaged in mending the hole. I must explain a little about Tomkins. He’s a queer, interesting sort of man, not so very much younger than Uncle Benham, and has been in his service more than forty years. He came over here from England as a young man and went to work on the big dairy-farm that Uncle Benham owns. Uncle took a great liking to him and soon took him into his personal service. ”