Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1898-02-19


wouldn't let such things be destrOv cd"
II WONDER" said jasper Lyle, III they
were destroyed, by accident or otherwise,
and the runaway nephew returned, II he
would have any chance Of getting share
Of the property"
Nothing more was said on the subject
at that moment, but few days after, as
Lyle was again enjoying the company Of
his friend the brewer, Mullins said sud-
denly to him:
"By the way, Mr.. Lyle, you was specu.
lating last time as we sat here, whether
that nevy Of the late Mr.. Carylrs, II he
was TO come to England, would have any
chance Of getting Mount EdenT'
provided the proofs of his crime had
not been kept against him. 1t was mere
curiosity on my part. The law Is so In.
| tricotc. and a man would not be likely
70 let place like Mount Eden slip through
his hands IL there was any chance Of
claiming IT,"
swell, sir, here's friend Of mine here
a. could put II all plain before yOu-Mr.
Dickson, as Is head clerk to the solicitors
at st. Mary Ottery. Mr.. Dickson, SIR"
continued Mullins, bnwling across the tap
room, ''come this way and have a glass
| Of summat with me and this gentleman,
TITS really not worth troubling Mr.
Dickson about" sud jasper Lyle careless
~. Its a matter Of no consequence.
Merely a discussion whether. IN case OF
there being no proofs against this runaway
nephew Of Mr.. Carylrs. he might not
come home some day and claim the es-
| tatcs."
"Oh, the Mount Eden scandal" replied
the clerk, laughing. II don't know, I'm
| sure; I believe it's moot question. 1t
depends entirely upon the wording Of the
will. I have heard II said that the late
Mr.. Caryll was % certain that his nephew
could never visit England, on account Of
the forgery, that he merely left his prop.
erty to his niece a. the next Of kin, and
not TO the entire exclusion Of all other
heirs. Indeed, the old gentleman believ.
ed 20 fully to the day Of his death that his
son might some day return, that Miss
Rayne only holds Mount Eden contingent
to that very improbable event. In which
case, II q nearer relation las, Of course,
the nephew would be) came forward to
dispute her claim, I should think Il would
make q pretty question Of law whether
he would not be entitled to ut least part
Of the estate. But then, you see, this
nephew was q forger, and could never
show himself In court Of law, 20 there's
the end Of II. Whoever holds the forged
checks would only have to produce them
to quash the whole concern"
I'VE were supposlng the proofs to b
lost, or destroyed"
This conversation had o strong effect
upon Lyle's mind. He ruminated on II
for hours before he returned to Mount
Eden.
"Thcre Il one thing must do" he de-
ciied, "and that IL to get hold Of those
forged checks. It Ii q shame that Eve
long, What could have been her motive
but to keep me In her power, and have q
lifelong hold over me? And that IL what
women call love. Bah! II Ii the first
step 10 be taken, and shall not be easy
iii Il IL accomplished. In her nasty state
OF mind she might change their hiding
place, or deposit them with her solicitors
and blight oil my hopes forever"
From that day Jasper Lyle took every
opportunity Of examining the marguerite
cabinet, In which he had seen Evelyn
place the records Of his crime. 1t stood
met resisted all his efforts. 1t was Ons
/
pieces OF furniture that have not beer
knocked together In a day. His only
chance was to open II with It's own keys
And 30 Mr.. Lyle commenced regular
search each morning In Evelyn's ward
robe drawers; and one day he lit upon thu
bunch Of keys las he had anticipated In
side the folds Of a necktie. He graspet
them eagerly. 1t was not an opportunity
to be lost-it was one that might ncvei
occur again. With the keys In his hand
he entered the adjoining room, aud listen
cd from the landing. Not a sound wal
to be heard. The servants had finished
all the upstairs work, and were busy pre-
pairing for their dinner In the servants
hall. Evelyn aud Agnes had driven on
together to st. Mary Ottcry, and coult
, not be home for another hour. Fate ha.
thrown the chance straight into his lap
, He returned to the sitting room. an,
hastily unlocking the marguerite cabine
began to search each drawer In turn
They were all locked, but the two key
were together, and easily distinguish,
, from the rest. In the agitation durinl
. their first interview he had forgotten Il
. note In which drawer Evelyn had replace,
. the forged checks; but he soon fOun,
|, them sealed up In an envelope, and In
dorsed with his uncle's signature. The!
lay In company with his photographs ant
, letters, q pair Of solled gloves and bat
tered fusce case. which Evelyn had KEEP
, o. mementoes Of him.
II wonder II I had better take then
. ALL" he thought to himself; shat fellow
, Dickson said tho claimant might hav
some trouble to prove his identity. but
don't sec how these articles would bel
me. No one but a woman would kee
such rubbish, but II Eve opened the draw
!. or by chance. Its complete emptines
i would at once betray me. No; will onl
!. take these bcastly checks and the photo
graphs. Thank goodness, I have bee
n | successful at last, and that worry, q
q least, Is of my mind"
r He hastily tore open the envelope I
o make sure he had got hold OF the RICH
Q papers. and then. thrusting them aud tn
I photographs into his cont pocket, he loci
!, ed the drawers and the cabinet, and n
d placed the bunch Of keys where he ha
j. found them-betwccn the folds Of til
3 necktle.
T Jasper lighted candle and deliberatel
J. burned the forged checks to finder. A
3 the last spark died out Of them, and the
Q lay In black nothingncss before him, b
i laughed aloud.
"There's one link Of my letters broken,
u he said, as he blew the ashes out OF tn
window; II don't think anyone will b
: able to bring up the forged check again'
A