The Dugdale Millions — page 238: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

228 THE DUGDALE MILLIONS. he had brought reproof on Mrs. Stanton, “ Mason, that box I found locked must have been the one. But it was on the shelf.” “T left it on the table,” said Mrs. Stanton, very red of face. “Tt certainly was on the shelf when I saw it first,” continued Mr. Stanton. ‘I think, wife, you must have put it there, without being conscious of your act. But, Mason, why do you say it explains the bur- glary?”’ “That was a sudden and thoughtless conclusion,” replied Dick. ‘* When I’m called upon for argument to sustain it, I find myself in difficulty. But here are several facts. A burglary wascommitted. The house- maid, under your questioning, distinctly recollects closing the shutters and fastening the sashes last night. This morning the windows show a burglarious entrance. A searching examination of the house shows no pur- pose of robbing generally, since articles of value, easy of reach, were not touched. Hence we may conclude that behind the entrance was a specific purpose. But, what? That question brings me to my conclusion. If you will recollect though you took down eight boxes, five were replaced and three left on the table. These three boxes have disappeared. And these boxes were the specific purpose of the burglary.”’ “There were ten of my boxes onthe shelf. This one brought by Mrs. Jenkins would make eleven,” inter- rupted Mr. Stanton, as he hurried out of the room. He was back again in a moment. “There are but eight left,” he said, as he returned. “So three were taken.” “ Now, sir,’ continued Dick, “let us assume forthe sake of my argument, that there is a relation between the disappearance of the locked box brought by Mrs. Jenkins, which is among the three, and the claim of Harold Pierson to the Dugdale estate.” Comicbookk<s C@© 3}