The Dugdale Millions — page 244: what you’re looking at

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

234 THE DUGDALE MILLIONS. is the man who visited Mrs. Tomlinson and afterward pushed his inquiry in Newark for knowledge of James Powers. This is growing warm.’’ He then related to the captain the story of the bur- glary on Mr. Stanton’s house the previous night, and afterward explained his theory. The captain listened attentively, When Dick had concluded his story he said: ‘‘Then your belief is that the scheme is a fraudulent attempt to palm off the adopted son of the elder Pier- son as young Dugdale.”’ ‘*Yes; either with or without the knowledge and consent of Harold Pierson.’’ ‘*With his knowledge,’’ exclaimed the captain. ‘‘I do not believe that Harold Pierson is the adopted son of Orton. He is Bob Brown in my opinion. Itisa deep plot, which must be closely looked into. Your theory is excellent and I will work on its lines.”’ While this conference was going forward in Captain Lawton’s office, another was in progress at Orton Pierson’s house, in an upper room. Ransom had arrived early in the morning and was awaiting Bob’s appearance impatiently. He had told the story of the previous night’s experience to Moore and Orton Pierson. Both were well frightened. They were not at all reassured by Ransom’s emphatic statement that Bob was convinced that no one but Mrs. Stanton had knowledge of the box. Moore had urged that the Hetlow people knew the woman Jen- kins and could obtain knowledge of its contents from her. When Bob appeared he was eagerly plied with questions. **You are all off the track,’* he said. ‘*The story is serious enough, I can tell you, without making it more so. Mrs. Stanton says, and I believe her, that no one knew that the box had been received at the Stanton house but herself. She is a jealous old fool, and believes the box contains evidence by which she can Comiclboolk<s C@ 3