The Dugdale Millions — page 239: what you’re looking at

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

A BURGLARY. 229 Both Mr. Stanton and Wallis were startled by the boldness of the proposition. Mrs. Stanton, however, very red of face and in an alarmed tone, cried out : “T do not know why you should do that.” Her husband and her niece, surprised at her tone and manner, looked at her keenly and curiously. “ Merely as a starting-point, Mrs. Stanton,” said Dick, bowing deferentially to her, and continued: “There are certain facts of which we have been cognizant since the beginning of our search. When I called on Mrs. Tomlinson I learned that a middle- aged man had seen her upon precisely the same errand, before I got to her, while if he did not repre- sent his name to be Mason, he at least left her under the impression that he was the Mason upon whose behalf Barber had seen her the previous day. Again, when we employ detectives to trace Powers, we are ine formed that they were preceded in every place they went by a man making precisely the same inquiries, The description of this man coincides with the descrip- tion of the man calling upon Mrs. Tomlinson.” * I recollect,” interjected Mr. Stanton. ‘ There must have been a purpose in all this,” Dick went on, “and the purpose must have been to reach the end we were seeking. Now, grant me a single supposition. Suppose that having learned of the ex- istence of a daughter of James Powers, as we did, and that there was in her possession a tin box, the con- tents of which might reveal the truth as to the adoption of Edmund Dugdale’s child, as we did, is ita violent assumption that this person, tracing the box to this house, adopted the felonious means of burglary to Secure its possession ? ” “Tt is all nonsense,” suddenly ejaculated Mrs. Stanton. “Why, auntie!” cried Wallis, and not without purs pose, “ what do you know of it?” Comicboclk C@ 3