The Coming Wave by Oliver Optic

The landlord of the Cliff House was a man who attended to his own business to the exclusion of that of others, and he did not trouble himself any further about the affairs of his guest, though his curiosity was somewhat excited at first. Leopold "was not happy" in being obliged to conceal his thoughts and actions from his father; but then Mr. Bennington did not question him in regard to her conduct after he was a little accustomed to the ways of Miss Liverage. The young man did not place much reliance upon the statements of the nurse. He had heard and read about "money-diggers" before. He was familiar with the story of Wolfert Webber, who had dug over the whole of his cabbage garden in search of hidden treasure, and he had no little contempt for those who allowed themselves to be carried away by such vain and silly illusions. While he had no doubt that Miss Liverage was in earnest, he had little confidence in the existence of the hidden treasure at High Rock.

Though Leopold did not intend to become a Wolfert Webber, and dig over half a mile of beach under the cliffs, he admitted to himself the possibility of the existence of the treasure. He had promised the nurse that he would search for the money, and he did so; but he felt that the task was like "looking for a needle in a hay-mow," and he abandoned it before he had made himself ridiculous in his own estimation. He wrote a letter to the nurse, who had given him her address in New York, informing her of the ill success of his endeavors. She answered the letter, giving him further instructions, saying that the money was buried not more than a foot below the surface of the beach, and near a projecting rock. Probably when she was less excited than during her visit to Rockhaven, her memory had recalled some of the statements of Harvey Barth; for certainly she had said nothing so definite as this when she was with Leopold.