The Dugdale Millions — page 232: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER XXIII. A BURGLARY. On returning to Springhill Mr. Stanton, to his wife’s infinite distress, led Dick into the library. <As Wallis immediately retired to her own room the poor woman was given an opportunity to think over the enterprise she had engaged upon, alone. “Mason,” said Mr. Stanton, as he closed the door after them, ‘‘in looking over some of my old papers with a view of destroying those of no value, I came across some papers belonging to the estate of Thomas Mason—your uncle. I cannot tell how they got among my private papers, I suppose they did when I was settling it. I recently had my boxes removed trom therofice to this place... (here they ara, tenor them,” pointing to a shelf, on which a number of tin. boxes were ranged together. ‘I am weeding out the unimportant papers. I don’t think they are of any value--I mean those belonging to the Mason estate— but you should look at them.” With this he rose from his chair and, going to the shelf, took down one of the boxes, bringing it to the table. On opening it, however, he said : ‘This is not the one. Someone has been tmterfer- ing with these boxes. The girls have had a dusting fit, | suppose, and upset things.”’ He took down another and indeed others, until he had six upon the table, without finding the one he was looking for, until at last he took down one to find it was locked. “This is locked,” he said, in surprise. ‘Which one is this? I don’t remember it.” #22 Comicloo cS 5},