Argosy All-Story Weekly, 4 February 1922 — page 158: what you’re looking at

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

468 a will-of the late Thomas Dundas, drawn - “up some six months befor his death. Evi- dently Mrs. Dundas did not know of its existence—”’ ~* So Mr. Agnew went on. He explained with slow relish that Mrs. Dundas had really no reason or legal right to make a will at all. Her late husband had ar- ranged everything for her. In fact, she had for years been enjoying an income only half of which was really hers. The late Mr. Dundas had left his money to be divid- ed equally between his widow and his niece, Amy; but his widow’s share was only for life. At her death the whole of the estate would become the property of his niece, the said Amy Dundas. Peter and Loraine could scarcely believe the evidence of their ears. This was the document which Elspeth had preserved from the flames. Under it, she would not benefit to the extent of one farthing. ‘* May I congratulate you, Mrs. Trem- lett?” said Will Agnew. ‘“ There will be formalities, of course, but the situation is perfectly clear. There can be no doubt as to the legality of this—” Elspeth stood up in her corner and ad- dressed the young solicitor. “Excuse me, sir. The money was left to Amy Dundas, afterward Amy Marshall.” » “ That is so, Miss McQueen, as I assumed you understood. But I’ve no doubt but what Mr. and Mrs. Tremlett will suitably reward your honesty—” “T don’t want any reward for doing what was only my duty. All I ask is, where is my dear Miss Amy—her that was Mrs. Marshall?” This question puzzled even Will Agnew, who was not easily set at naught. “Because,” Elspeth continued, leveling a bony forefinger at Loraine; “ because that woman is not, and never was, Amy Dundas. I don’t know who she is, or what has hap- pened to Miss Amy. That woman may be Mrs. Tremlett—I won’t dispute it—but she’s not my poor Miss Amy who ran away to London because she hated Mr. Tremlett and was deadly afraid of him. He went after her and he brought back a wife. But it wasn’t-Miss Amy he brought back, al- ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. though she fooled the whole town of Witcham into thinking so.” CHAPTER XXXII. THE MISSING MOLE, ORAINE’S first thought was that the L game was up. She felt quite sure that Amy had been communicating secretly with Elspeth McQueen, very likely with a view to getting all this money. An unjust hatred of Amy flamed in Loraine’s heart, and she was so enraged with Elspeth that she could scarcely restrain herself from fly- ing at the grim old serving-woman. But almost immediately she realized with triumph that not one person in the little company had the faintest idea that Elspeth was speaking-the truth. ““ Come now, Miss McQueen,” the solici- tor said soothingly, “ this is a rare tale of yours, but I’m afraid you’ve misspoken yourself.”” He glanced at the minster and touched his forehead significantly, indicat- ing none too subtly that Elspeth must have been stricken with sudden madness. Indeed, in Will Agnew’s opinion when he had his long talk with her about the will, she had been a little mad not to have obeyed the dead woman and put that old document on the flames. Elspeth told the Solicitor the whole story which had its be- ginning some fifteen years ago at the time of Mr. Thomas Dundas’s death. All this: time Elspeth had known her mistress for a thief, for she herself had witnessed Mr. Dundas’s will, and knew the terms of it. That was why her mistress had dealt by her with such amazing generosity. Mrs. Dun- das had hoped to bribe Elspeth into holding her tongue. It may be that during those long years Aunt Anna had fought battles with her own conscience, and that was why she had pre- served her husband’s true will. But in the end her conscience lost because she had taken a violent dislike to Mrs. Peter Trem- lett. The minister laid a suchas hand on Elspeth’s shoulder. “You have made an astounding charge, my good woman,” he said. “A shocking Comicboo <S (e(0) m