They smiled at each other amicably . Felicity and the Story Girl were really quite fond of each other , under the queer surface friction that commonly resulted from their intercourse . `` You said once you knew a story about the Awkward Man , '' said Felix . `` You might tell it to us . '' `` All right , '' agreed the Story Girl . `` The only trouble is , I do n't know the whole story . But I 'll tell you all I do know . I call it ` The Mystery of the Golden Milestone . ' '' `` Oh , I do n't believe that story is true , '' said Felicity . `` I believe Mrs. Griggs was just romancing . She DOES romance , mother says . '' `` Yes ; but I do n't believe she could ever have thought of such a thing as this herself , so I believe it must be true , '' said the Story Girl . `` Anyway , this is the story , boys . You know the Awkward Man has lived alone ever since his mother died , ten years ago . Abel Griggs is his hired man , and he and his wife live in a little house down the Awkward Man 's lane . Mrs. Griggs makes his bread for him , and she cleans up his house now and then . She says he keeps it very neat . But till last fall there was one room she never saw . It was always locked -- the west one , looking out over his garden . One day last fall the Awkward Man went to Summerside , and Mrs. Griggs scrubbed his kitchen .
Then she went over the whole house and she tried the door XXXXX the west room .
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