Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-27

said Miss Eversleigh, ignoring Ralph's
question, "it must be found. 1t can only
have been mislaid."
'Let us hope that it will never be
found. 1t can be no good. If it is recov-
'This is madness, Ralph-sheer mad
ness"
"Well, am mad" replied Ralph, stub
bornly. "what of that? Men have gone
mad for less, think"
'I cannot understand you, Ralph" said
Miss Eversle;gh in panied and perplexed
tone.
''Let us bring this interview to close,
Gwendoline. I do not expect you to under
stand me. You never cared to. I don't say
that to reproach you, God forbid. But, at
least you can understand this. The only
friend ever had in all the world is gone
There is no loneliness like mine. What
care for houses or lands now?"
'You forget, Ralph" said Gwendoline,
with some dignity, 'that my loss is as great
as yours. Some would think it greater
"No, do not forget that, Gwendoline, 4"
exclaimed Ralph gently, and then added
with bitterness of tone that panied and
shocked Gwendoline, "but for you there is
comfort; for me none"
f'Comfort, Ralph? How can you say so?''
cried GWendollne family.
"Ay, comfort! The mistress of Evers-
leigh will soon have lovers in plenty"
The keen anguish with which this last
scarcely veiled reproach was uttered cut
Grendoline deeply, and her bosom heaved
wildly at the thought of what she was about
to do. A moment more and she would have
flung herself on his breast and whispered in
his ear, Take me to your heart, Ralph, and
let us comfort each other" But Ralph had
not the instinct to read the signs of wayer-
ing in her flushed face, her heaving breast,
and the look of intense sorrowful yearning
that she cast upon him. He spoke, and his
next speech destroyed the spell.
'Let this end, Gwendoline," he said,
hastily. 'It is painfnl for both, and can do
no good. 1 swear solelnnly that there exists
''Be it so, answered Gwendoline, proud
ly, feeling her efforts scorned. II have
done. I will plead no more
Ralph turned on his heel and left her
left her too quickly to hear the passionate
sobbing of the woman whom he had left be-
hind. For at last the woman's heart within
her spoke loudly. Pity had completed what
her fathers dying words had begun-what
had been begun in her long before, if Ralph
had been wiser lover.
"Oh, Ralph, Ralph, come back to me-"
she cried. "We are alone together, and 1
love you, love you,p and she buried her
face in the couch on which she had flung
herself when the door closed on Ralph.
But Ralph had passed out of earshot, and
when night fell there was another mystery
added to the mystery already reigning at
Eversleigh Hall, for Ralph did not return.
He had gone and left no trace behind.
V.
A month passed after Ralph's disappear
ance. No tidings had been received from
him, and the search for the missing will
was at an end. The house had been
searched from top to bottom. 1t had been
renewed, and the same process repeated,
with futile result. Eric had borne prin-
cipal part in the quest, and Doggett, too,
had worked side by side with him, assisting
to unravel the mysterious disappearance of
the will.
There was no room for doubt that the will
had been stolen. Mr.. Weber, in his recoil
from the dark suspicious opened out, would
fain have found loophole for escape by
falling back on the supposition that the
'Squire's mind had been wandering, but
Miss Eversleigh's testimony on this point
was so clear and emphatic that there was
no OIucI dlIcEudblt6 1cIb. LIE Will QaQ Deen
mysteriously spirited away. But with what
object and by whom?
There was only Eric or Ralph for it. But
who could suspect the open-minded and
candid Eric who had 1labored more assidu-
ously than they all to unearth the missing
document?. Ralph's disappearance on the
very day when the search was resumed
wore an ugly look; and Mr.. Weber found
himself driven to the conclusion that some
oover-scrupulous regard for the interests Of
his cousin had led Ralph to destroy the
will and secure to her the inheritance to the
Eversleigh estates.
When Doggett was asked. his opinion on
the matter he confessed himself unable to
decide. He had clew-so he said-but of so
fragile character that he must ask to be
allowed to retain 1t in his own breast, or the
only chance he had of working it out to
successful conclusion would be gone.
"Do you mean that am not to knoF