Year: 1870

There was dead silence in the hour and
place. only the clock ticking off the seconds
as evenly as if nothing was happening. |
watching Mr.. Shapes face hungrily as if it
would reflect and disclose what he was read
ing The letter was brief, but he read il,
over twice 1t seemed very long pause
OF suspense to me, yet I suppose three
minutes had scarcely passed.


''He says he has never heard of old Law
rence's death ~ exclaimed Mr.. Snape at
length che knows nothing about his will ;
has never received it p


"Never received it ~ repeated, "not
received it But could take my oath it
went from this Office


"Did you see it go into the bag your
self?'' asked Mr.. Shape.


hesitated a minute or two, for that
deep lethargic sleep spoke of had dimmed
my recollections of that night. Iremem-
bered it was the night l had left the two
under-clerks to do all the work alone, while
l was watching beside my father; but |
recalled also the exact spot where had
left the will on the counter, reared up
against the folded money-order account
which had been duly acknowledged as
received. If one had gone safely, why not
the other?


"No," lanswered, after that long pause:
81 took it in, and left it here on the coun-
ter; but the clerks did the work that eve
ming. 1t would be impossible for them to
overlook it, Besides, we should have fonnd
it the next day if it had been left behind
and should certainly have informed YOU
of the irregularity. No. 1t must have
gone from here


So said the elder clerk, when we oues-
toned him in the morning. He could not
positively swear to it, because they had
been hurried and furried over their work
but he was quite sure it must have gone, If
it had been on the counter as | described
The other clerk who had taken it in. and
knew it to be Lawrence's will, had not
made up in the London bag, or he would
have taken special notice of it, and
would have been able to swear to it. Still
both of them were positive that it had not
been left behind; though it might have got
into the wrong bag, and been missent.


"Ill go to London by to-night's mall"
said Mr.. Snipe.


Nothing could be more significant of
the Importance of the document for a
journey to London by coach, occupying six
teen hours at the swiftest, was not under
taken for trifie. The anxiety which had
been devouring me was now sharpened to
a keener point; but both Mr. Shape and
wished to keep the affair quiet as long as
possible, and said nothing about it to any
one, my father still being too ill to have ii
contided to him. AS for the clerks, both
being unmarried men, there was little dan
gar Of their telling tales out of school, af
ter being once warned to keep it to them
selves for the present.


But the anxiety had suffered before was
security itself compared with my constema
tion and disquietude when Mr. Shape re-
turned, accompanied by Mr.. Grey, who as
serted that he had seen nothing whatevero O.
the packet which had been posted in ou
office. There was not shadow of doub
of that last circumstance. The clerk VIII,
received it and myself were compelled t,
admit that it had been safely deposited witt
us; but no trace of it could be found be
yond that Both Shape and Grey had beer
to the General Post-office to make inouirie
there, but nothing was known of it. TIL,
whole onus Of the disappearance rested up.
ON our office, and three persons within it.


1t was simply impossible to keep tho
mysterious loss of old Lawrences win an,
longer secret. The relatives were ready
to pull Mr.. Grey to pieces as soon as h,
showed his face in the town. Was It no
shameful, scandalous, that fortnight ha,
already dragged by, and no one knew how
quarter OF million of money for ru-
mors said the old mans wealth was no les,
had been bequeathed? With what reluc
tance Grey made known the facts The,
had been will he and the postmaste
were executors it had been posted for hi,
ON the night after old Lawrence's deotl
and nothing more was known about it.
| lCoNCLUDED NEXT WEEK.