The Dugdale Millions — page 208: what you’re looking at

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

198 THE DUGDALE MILLIONS. son would think of visiting—this also is suspicious and significant.” “Vou do not deny that Harold Pierson is, so far as we can judge, from manner and breeding, a gentle- man ?”’ ‘No, sir,” replied Dick, “I donot; yet I know that on seeing him I was instinctively filled with distrust.” Mr. Hetlow had felt something of this and was silent for some time. ‘Then there is something else,’ Dick went on after awhile. ‘The day I arrived at Springhill—the day. I mean, you were upon your yacht—I wandered to the river and watched from the rocks a boat pulling for the shore to land a man. ‘This man seemed to me to be one in your employ. The man pulling the boat was Ransom, I thought. The man landing and in your employ was in this group to-day. Again, the night that Lord Merrimount was attacked on your grounds, when he, Miss Hetlow, Miss Gladwin, and myself were walking, I thought, as I ran to Merri- mount’s assistance, that the man attacking him was Ransom. He was running away at the time and it.was dark, to be sure, but [I said at the time [ thought it was he.” “You make a strong case,” said Mr. Hetlow smil- ing, *“* but after all, is it not based upon unsubstantial grounds? It seems so to me.” eit may be.” replied Dick. “But 1 am. veto strongly impressed that something ts wrong.” “Tet us assume,” suggested Mr. Hetlow, “that all these things are really as you suppose them to be and they actually are—your conclusion would be what?” “That there is a conspiracy on foot to possess them- selves of this great wealth. That is the logical con- clusion we must come to.” The old merchant seemed shocked by Dick’s words and manner. ‘Your conclusion is a startling one,” he said. “Tf cannot follow you in it.” Comicboolkk<s C@ 3