Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-18
S. BARRING GOULD,
CHAPTER XIiL-wHAT NEXT?
'itten for THE DISPATCH

she SAID
Philip said nothing. OF course she must do
what she said. She was the proper person to
take out an administration as nearest of kin.
But he was not thinking of her and what she
proposed to do. He was standing still with the
will in his hand. Salome had not reclaimed it,
as it was worthless. He proceeded to fold it
and replace it in the cover. Philip was not
easy in his mind. He had spoken in rude
manner to the girl throwing a gross charge
against her, and had grieyously hurt her.
Was the charge just? Was it possible to ex-
plain the peculiar circumstances in any other
way than that which had occurred to him?
Suddenly looking up at Mrs. Sidebottom and
then at the Captain, he looked down again, and
this time with great attention at the envelope.
THE envelope has been tampered with" he
said.
''In what way?' asked Mrs. Sidebottom.
'It has been opened by means of heated
penknife. Here are the marks of the smoke
that have been rubbed off the blade upon the
paper; and here are cuts made by the knife in
the paper. The envelope, after having beer
sealed was opened carefully. even cunningly."
why carefully or cunningly 1 cannot tell,
but of course opened it has been" said Mrs.
Sidebottom. "You do not suppose jeremiah
could destroy his signature without opening
the envelope?".
posed he would take pains to do it in such
manner. He had plenty of long envelopes at
hand. Then again, to refasten it a different
sealing wax was employed to what had been
used before a slight difference in tint OF
scarlet, and one impression OF the stamp can be
traced over the other, the earlier not being
wholly obliterated Excuse me one moment,
Aunt Louisa, l should like to have a look at
my uncles study"
'Philip-the room is in disorderr' said Mrs.
Sidebottom starting to her feet and flushing,
~ cannot really; upon my word 1 will not per-
nit"
But he had left the room before she could
prevent him. She moved to follow him, but re-
considered herself and turned back.
"Fiddlesticksr' she said. angrily; nothing
but tddlesticl1s."
liam the sufferer" grumbled Lambert; 81
shall be left in the cold. You and Philip take
everything"
what have serves to make you comfort
able" retorted the mother.
That may be" answered Lambert ''but it is
one thing 10 have money of ones own, and an
other thing to have to come to ones nanny
for every penny and to find that the nanny
rarely has any pennies in her purse"
Hitherto have been punched in circum-
stances. 1t will be different now. Lamb, you
will see." After pause, she added, UNLESS
that meddlesome, vexatious prig, Philip, prove
an obstruction"
Presently Philip returned.
''It is as thought" said he. 1.-The sealing
wax employed the second time is that now in
the pen tray on my uncle's desk; not only so,
but his knife is there also, bearing on it the
traces of exposure to fire. 1t was probably
thrust into the fame of the gas to heat it so as
to enable it to dissolve the wax of the SEAL"
mo doubt about it." said Mrs. Sidebottom;
"and this proves that jeremiah Cancelled his
will shortly before his death. should not be
surprised if he did 1t the same night that he
died, Immediately before giving it to Salome"
THE case is a most extraordinary one" said
Philip.
mot at all, it is clear as day."
Philip did not care to debate the matter with
his aunt, so he left the room, and taking his
hat entered the garden,
The garden, as already said descended from
the house to the valley. 1t consisted of two
slopes, divided by wall: the upper slope
ended in terrace walk with the coping of the
wall serving as parapet toit. Access to the
lower garden wall was obtained by a flight of
steps at ca "a end. The upper of the two
divisions devoted to flowers, the lower to
vegetables, and fruit trees were trained against
the wall that distressed up the terrace.
Philip paced the upper terrace for several
he could not see that the matter was as simple
as his aunt pretended. For, as he argued, why
should his uncle have taken pans to preserve
the original envelope when there was no appa-
rent necessity for so doing. If any one else
had opened the envelope then he could under
stand the care taken to preserve it with its su-
prescription, THE Last Will and Testament of
Jeremiah Pennycomequick." and to conceal
the fact that it had been adroitly unclosed.
But who would have been likely to commit
such an act? Certainly not Salome, in whose
keeping, under lock and key, the will had been.
1t was hardly possible that it had been tam
pered with since it had been given to her. Was
it possible that it had been cancelled before,
unknown to jeremiah?
Philip saw that he had not the data, or had
not data sufficient, on which to come to a de-
cision. He must have another interview with
Salome. He therefore returned TO the house,
and meeting a servant in the hall asked her to
request Miss ellsworth to speak with him few
minutes in the garden.
Without delay Salome came. She had not
put on bonnet, but had thrown gray shawl
over her head, and pinned it under her chin
like mill girl. Some of her FURNISHED hair,
like autumn oak leaves flaming in the evening
sun, shone out from under the shawl, and the
grey wool contrasted pleasantly with the deli
cately beautiful complexion, now DO longer
white but with flying tinges of color In it, like
sunset sky in which are drifts of vapor, high
alott, underlined, yet sensitive to the rays of
the declining orb. She was deeply wounded
and the changes in her color followed the fiuc-
tuations of resentment, humiliation anger and
pain in her heart
She had been crying-PhiIip saw that-for
though she had wiped her eyes, the tears were
still near the surface, and with difficulty re-
strained from overfowing.
miss ellsworth" said Philip with stiffness
but an attempt at graciousness, II regret that
addressed you a few moments ago without
that charity which I was bound to entertain.
was surprised, indignant, and rushed to a
conclusion which may prove to have been
formed too precipitately. shall be greatly
very greatly obliged, if you will accent nv
apology, and allow me to ask you series of
questions on the subject of the will. to enable
me TO form matured opinion as to the man.
ner in which 1t was cancelled, and by whom it
was done, two points that appear to me at this
moment by no means as clear as thev did a
quarter of an hour ago, because close e1ami-
nation of the envelope has shown me that it
was opened recently, and in a manner that
seems TO me suspicious"
Il will answer any questions you put-as far
as it is in my ability to answer them"
"And-we shall be more at our ease more in
private, If we take the lower walk at the foot
Of the wal" said Philip, 'tas from the windows
everyone can see us here and comment on our
interview. May ask you to do me the further
favor Of walking with me below the steps?"
Certainly" answered Salome, and began to
descend.
Philip would have been devoid of the ele-
meutary faculties by which beauty is perceived
and admired, if he had not been struck at this
time by the young and graceful figure that pre-
ceded him, and by the perfect sweetness of the
innocent. sad face that turned at the bottom