The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1908-09-03
"All clothing will be spoiled"

anu uiOSL tIuuhS ina get Tree VIII
be dashed to pieces"
"That is so. Roberts, however, was
a strong cowhide trunk, he tells me,
and would stand a lot of knocking
about"
Esther caught her breath sharply.
said, "in case 1t were washed up by
the tide?"
ooh, easily. His initials, r. W., are
burnt into the side. His name is Rob-
ert Webster" and turning suddenly
round he walked away.
Esther stared after him for a mo
ment or two in silence. Then
Grayton said, with a laugh, You did
not make much Of him, Miss Mawgan."
mo, lot much" she answered, abb
sently.
Hes a singular character. I'm not
quite able to make him out"
Hell need watching"
"Watching?" he questioned, In .
tone Of surprise.
Hes up to no good. He has de-
signs on something or somebody"
What makes you think SOP"
Several things. oh, ! wish Clement
were at home. A woman is so help
less in a case OF this kind"
They had begun to retrace their
steps toward the village, but Grayton
paused abruptly and looked at his
companion.
II do not quite understand" he
said, hesitatingly. rs there anything
| can do for you? You have only to *
press a wish and ! will do my'best.
Let me-let me-take your brothers
place" 1t was in his heart to say a
great deal more, but he held himself
in check with a strong hand.
81 know | can trust you," she said.
looking frankly into his face.
with your life," he answered, i'm
pulsively.
She colored slightly, and then began
to speak more rapidly. There is a
mystery behind that mans move
ments, I'm sure there is, and it has to
do with Marion West. Don't ask me
to explain. | don't profess to be log
ical, but | am sure l am right. That
man is here for the purpose of getting
possession of Marion Vests box"
But why Miss Vests box?"
81 don't know. That's what we've
got to find out. He admits that he is
on the lookout for a cowhide trunk
with the initials r. w. burnt on its
side. Do you think it likely there
will be two trunks of the same de-
seription and with the same initials? ?"
There's nothing unlikely in that,
su~rely?"
But do you think any man would
spend weeks and weeks watching the
coast merely for the sake of getting
possession OF an ordinary trunk that
belonged to a relative?"
But Miss Vests was an ordinary
trunk"
but it held a silver box which con-
tanned important papers"
"She told you that?"
"She did not know what the papers
were, but she presumed they were inn
portant. She was strictly charged by
her dying father concerning the box"
But what can Nevins know about
it?"
She shook her head and a perplexed
look came into her eyes.
do you think she has seen Nevins
and commissioned him to act for herr"
IF she has done so, why does he
say it's Robert Webster's box he's
looking for?"
"She may not have wished her name
to be mentioned"
"Oh, that is all nonsense. Marion
West is not that sort of girl. If she
had seen this man and told him, he is
acting without her knowledge and for
some Interior purpose of his own"
But what would he be likely to
gain?"
II don't know. I've not had time to
think the matter out yet. There's a
mystery somewhere. The contents OF
that silver box may be valuable to
other people IL they a get hold of
them. Marion may not be the unim-
p~ortant waif she thinks she Is"
ITO Be %continueo.)