A Heart's Bitterness — page 250: what you’re looking at

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

242 ‘A HEART'S BITTERNESS. — alteration look as old as the rest of the stone. But again, it may be just as it wassetup. It was a cheap stone— _ *prentice work on it, perhaps—I can’t swear.” ‘But can you swear to the doctor’s handwriting in the paper?” asked Colonel Hartington. ‘Yes, I can. So can others—good witnesses. They have done it.” ‘‘When did the doctor die?” “In *46. I set up his grave-stone.” “« After all,” said Mr. Epston to Storms, ‘‘ the statement of the doctor is our strong point. The grave-digger you may prove a criminal, unworthy of credence; the stone- cutter is not prepared to take his oath that the inscription is as he made it, or that it is exactly as he received the order, as to date; he thinks he inscribed according to order, and thinks the stone is intact; but the doctor’s statement, with this grave-digger’s name, and the mark of the cottager at whose house Kemp died, as witnesses, will be held as sure proof of the revival and later death.” _ “ Where is the cottage woman?” asked Mr. Storms. “Dead,” said Kemp. “Tl swear to her mark,” said the grave-digger. Suddenly Lord Keith started forward: ‘You, then, rest the case on this doctor’s statement?” “Yes,” said Mr. Epston. The colonel bowed. “Will you allow me to take the paper a moment?” ‘“ Certainly,” .said Mr, Epston, selecting the paper from his wallet. ) | Lhe grave-digger and Kemp started, as if they thought the young peer would destroy the paper. The four lawyers smiled. Lord Keith returned to the window and opened the inner blind to the full power of the afternoon sun. The next in- _ gtant he gave a cry: | ‘‘Gentlemen, the case is ours! The paper is forged!” The four lawyers and Colonel Hartington sprang up. ‘“«Stay!” cried Keith. ‘‘ Look here, I beg of you!” - He held the paper against the strong light, and across Fee in broad water-line, the date of its manufacture, ‘“<T'wo years after the death of the doctor who is claimed to have written it,” said Keith, quietly. CoOmichbooks: co