The secret of the Mansion

Albany." He turned the page to the photograph of the miser’s cluttered living room. "What a bad break," he said slowly. "That christening mug of mine which I left on the mantelpiece stands out more clearly than anything else in the room. The light must have hit it. If Jonesy sees this particular picture, he’ll know just where to look for me. I’d better get going."
    "You can’t," Honey wailed. "Everything’s all set for tonight. Regan said we could go for a moonlight ride at nine o’clock if you went with us. He’s going to have the horses ready. All three of them, Jim," she pleaded. "Don’t you want to have one last ride on Jupe?"
    Jim was obviously tempted. He ran his hand nervously through his thick red hair. "Gosh, I’d like to," he admitted at last. "And even if Jonesy does see this picture, he isn’t apt to come around here until tomorrow sometime."
    Trixie let out a sigh of relief. "Come on, Honey," she said, starting for the screen door to the terrace. "If Jim’s really going to leave the first thing in the morning, we’d better start right now giving the Mansion one last thorough search."
    "I think you’re wasting your time," Jim said. "But go ahead. I’ll read this book I found. And please don’t forget to bring back my mug and the Bible."
    "I think we’re wasting our time, too," Honey said as she and Trixie climbed up the hill with Reddy racing ahead of them. "And if we don’t find anything, I want to give Jim some money before he goes, Trixie. I never spend my allowance, you know, and I’d like him to have it. But I don’t quite dare. He might be insulted."
    "I thought about that, too," Trixie said. "I’ve got five dollars coming to me at the end of the week and I almost asked Dad for it today, so I could give it to Jim. But I doubt if he’d accept it. He’s awfully proud and stubborn."
    "I know." Honey agreed. "I wouldn’t like him if he were any different, but, just the same, I wish he’d let us help him."
    Trixie clambered over the windowsill. "The best way to help him is to find his uncle’s money. Why don’t you tap around that desk in the study, and see if you can find a secret panel while I work in the living room. I’m still sure it’s hidden in there somewhere."
    Trixie felt along the paneled walls of the living room, but without success. "There’s no sense in going through those books and papers again," she told herself. "And we’ve moved everything at least twice looking for a trapdoor. I’d better give up in here and try the dining room."
    Honey joined her then, and together they pulled away the heavy mahogany sideboard. Dust was caked inches high on the baseboard behind it, and the wallpaper was streaked with grease and dirt.
    "There’s no secret hiding place here," Honey said after a while. "But how about that big picture on the other wall? In books, there’s always a wall safe behind an old family portrait."
    "Well, that’s not a portrait," Trixie said with a giggle. "It’s just about the ugliest still life I ever saw. Look at those hideous flowers and that stiff bowl of fruit. That apple," she said, giving it an exasperated poke, "is no more an apple than I am a—" She stopped in surprise, for suddenly the whole picture frame sprang away from the wall revealing a hidden alcove. "Honey," she cried. "I must have accidentally pressed the button which releases a spring. I thought that apple looked as though it had been painted in as an afterthought." She ran into the other room for her flashlight.
    "Empty," Honey moaned. "Absolutely empty. Did you ever know anything like it? That old miser—"
    "Wait a minute," Trixie interrupted. "There is something way back in the comer." She thrust her hand into the alcove and triumphantly pulled out a tiny, leather-covered jewel case. With a flick of her fingernail she snapped open the gold clasp. "It’s an old-fashioned engagement ring," she gasped. "Golly, did you ever see such an enormous diamond?"
    "It’s huge," Honey breathed excitedly. "And it must have belonged to Jim’s great-aunt. Now I know his uncle was crazy. He hid her ring in here, boarded up the top floors, and deliberately let the summerhouse and the arbor get overgrown. It just doesn’t make sense. I’ll bet he did lose all his money in bad investments."
    "I’m not so sure of that," Trixie said slowly. "It does make some sense, you know. He just didn’t want anything around to remind him of his wife. Anyway, this ring is probably worth a lot of