The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-07-14
.;r,HE missing DEED.
4 story Of chancery Lane.
CHAPTER L

rest IJysars OF the fourth pars. MnosovcsS $500
xssri SOLICITOR. of No. 90 Bclford row, small &C.
rxa We the above reward. :, =
..So, Dir. Morpe.h; nm sorry 70 say, No =
news whatever AZ. ran;or
n,rsuer of the firm OF Sharpe q fto!u'
rh1se advertisement, as ABOVE, nau up,
1 reared Mt intervals in all the leading news
rapers during nearly six months prior 70
The date OF our story. Mr.. Sharpe was sea. :
nsf in his special sanctum, to when none
his, the more important clients OF the nrm
wore admitted. On the opposite side OF the
table sat middle aged gentleman, whose
hoax OF eager anxiety and nervous haste was
IN striking contrast to the placid set-pos-
,sess;on al his solicitor. Mr.. MorpetRs lt,-
rst;rncA scarcely gave him time to remove
sis t,a, or gloves before he broke out with
fi,e anxious question, "Well, Mr.. Sharpe
,py news OF the missing deedf" ana re-
,ce;yet, the reply above quoted.
.tRut good heavens! my dear sir, IN an
other fortnight the cause comes on LOT near
unp, What on earth is to be .done!" ;,
eve can apply for an adjournment: II
YOU like; but, Of course. it is only putting
Of the evil day. You know my opinion
about the matter" -,
a<That the deed is no longer IN exist.
ence? i CAN'T aooRt peiieVe IL. AZ any
r-s4e. let US make another trial. wouid
Willingly give thousand IL IL couio GUY oe
recovered" 100
.Ouite hopeless, my dear sir. You nave
already increased the reward from one nun.
bred pounds to three. III the deed was SUI
Sn existence, the holder would have Deen
only TOO glad to restore it for nth part OF
.s,1ch reward. You may make up your
mind that it has been destroyed, either pur-
r,oseIy or accidentally, i cannot say which,
and don't like TO conjecture; but In any
ease Won may rest assured that the reason
u is not produced is that it is beyond pro.
t,uciiou; in TACT, that IL no longer eXlsts."
at is all very well for you to talk IN that
philosophical manner; but how on eartn
arc we to prove our case without lt?,
dit will be uphill work, 1 grant; but as
or leader, Mr.. Brass, told you in consulta-
zion last week, the case is by no means hope
tess. The deed being lost, and no copy 10
existence, psrole evidence will be admlssl-
Bile. The difficulty is (and it is no use min
cling the matter), the evidence in question
will be exclusively that OF Interested par
tics; and considering theyery large amount
that is mt stake, that is q point the other size
sgill naturally make the most Of"
-.No doubt they will. That is just what
drives me frantic. and you talk OF it as
calmly as il you were discussing the tele.
uhone or the last new planet. know, and
YOU know, that my cause is just and right.
TO think that and my poor dear wife, the
very soul OF honor, should have to stand up
ON the witness-boX and be lnsulted with
insinuations that we are swearing falsely
for the sake OF a few thousands. GOOD
God! it makes my blood boil to think OF
1t. feel almost inclined to say that viii
ti,o ,bn1n inn 1f than
such horrible ordeal"
:. Nav. nv dear SIR" said Mr.. Sharpe,
slammed at the threatened collapse OF pro-
missing litigation, "tbut would never do.
To give in at this stage would be tantamount
70 an admission. with most people, Mt any
rate. that YOU had had no case all along.
No, no; you must try the fortune OF war.
The first struggle will not be final In any
case. II you are beaten, CT course you will
carry the case to the Court OF Appeals; ana
I know the other side intend to do so II we
should he fortunate enough 10 get the best
OF it.''
ga second chapter OF torture,' groaned
Nr. Morreth. ~ really believe 1t will al
most Kill my wife. I tell you what MIR.
Sharpe, at any rate, we will make one more
effort. Put in the advertisement again.
every day until the trial comes OF, and
z make the reward five hundred pounds" i
Mr.. Sharpe shrugged bis shoulders.
alt won't make any difference. you may
rest assured; but us the reward is not lkely
10 be claimed, it doesn't matter much
slether you offer three hundred or i've.
He touched the bell and took up the
gl,pes, which lay open upon the table. A
suart young fellow entered in answer to
hts summons, and he continued, handing
him the paper:
!. Here, Halliday, copy out this adver-
tisement again, but making the reward tUe
hundred pounds instead OF three; and
then take il around TO the advertising agent
and ask him to insert it in all the dailies for
the next fortnight. Well try the expert
7nent at any rate, Dir. Morpeth; but Pm
afraid can't encourage you TO hope much
from the result"
@It's . forlorn hope, Mr.. Sharpe. adj
mit, but ] won't lose even 4. shadow OF a
chance il I can help it. Ii it only brings
back the deed / shall regard my five hun
tared pounds as extremely we'll invested, /
can assure YOU"
CHAPTER ii. ....;
Tom Halliday was copying clerk and mes
senser IN the office OF MeSsrs. Sharpe u
Floyd. He was just Internationally, wrote
a capital hand, had Il capital appetite, and
earned eighteen shillings week, which Till
lately had sufliced for his moderate needs.
We say till lately, for some months pre-
viously Tom had, In rash moment, fallen
IN love, which he found to lead him into ex-
fravagant outlayin pomatum and neckties,
and IN various ways toconstitute q consider
AIe tax on his modest resources. His sweet
heart was the daughter OF worthy widow,
who was care-taker or ''laundress OF GER
tain house OF Cbancery Lane, in which
Nessrs: Sharpe Il Floyd had formerly rented
Offices. Hence Toms acquaintance with
Mrs. Moyse and her daughter. Bessie MoySe
worked as milliner at shop in Regent
street, and it was an understood thing that
when Tom and she had saved up money
enough to furnish two rooms they were to be
xaairied; but as in the course OF six months
8hcir united savings only amounted to i've
and-thirty shillings and some old coppers,
their engagement appeared Tikely to be ra-
sser long one. On Saturday afternoons
slc young people, were in the habit Of
caking long walk together, followed by
1x.a at Chancery Lane-a festive ceremony
which was only marred by the presence OF
Upcle Keckwidge, an aged relative who re.
sided with Mrs. Moyse. 1t was family
tradition that Uncle Keck Widge had been
rather fascinating dog in his day; but he
Uas now very intirm, not TO say childish.
Me was very deaf, and, as rule, under
stood little or nothing Of what was going on
around him, but every now and then causht
one half OF sentence, and invariably that
half which the rest OF the company wonlo
have preferred that he should not hear. he
had, further, trying habit OF piunglhS
@S,snt syn N Fl,ys t,fo fhn n.