also had observed this, and I could see that to him
it was an indication of the girl's perturbed spirit. To me it seemed
that it might equally well mean many other things. For instance it might
mean her apprehension for Gregory Hall, who, I couldn't help thinking
was far more likely to be a wrongdoer than the girl herself.

With a little sigh I gave up trying to glean much information from the
present opportunity, and contented myself with the melancholy pleasure
it gave me simply to look at the sad sweet face of the girl who was
already enshrined in my heart.

After the solemn and rather elaborate obsequies were over, a little
assembly gathered in the library to hear the reading of the will.

As, until then, no one had known of the disappearance of the will,
except the lawyer and the secretary, it came as a thunderbolt.

"I have no explanation to offer," said Mr. Randolph, looking greatly
concerned, but free of all personal responsibility. "Mr. Crawford always
kept the will in his own possession. When he came to see me, the last
evening he was alive, in regard to making a new will, he did not bring
the old one with him. We arranged to meet in his office the next morning
to draw up the new instrument, when he doubtless expected to destroy the
old one.

"He may have destroyed it on his return home that evening. I do not
know. But so far it has not been found among his papers in either of his
offices or in the bank. Of course it may appear, as the search, though
thorough, has not yet been exhaustive. We will, therefore, hold the
matter in abeyance a few days, hoping to find the missing document."

His hearers were variously affected by this news. Florence Lloyd was
simply dazed. She could not seem to grasp a situation which so suddenly
changed her prospects. For she well knew that in the event of no will
being found, Joseph Crawford's brother would be his rightful heir, and
she would be legally entitled to nothing at all.

Philip Crawford sat with an utterly expressionless face. Quite able to
control his emotion, if he felt any, he made no sign that he welcomed
this possibility of a great fortune unexpectedly coming to him.

Lemuel Porter, who, with his wife, had remained because of their close
friendship with the family, spoke out rather abruptly,

"Find it! Of course it must be found! It's absurd to think the man
destroyed one will before the other was drawn."

"I agree with you," said Philip Crawford.

"Jos