The Dugdale Millions — page 310: what you’re looking at

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

300 THE. DUGCDALL MILLIONS back to the table. Running over the end of it, he drew out a paper which he laid before him and re- sumed his seat. Laying his hand upon this paper he said: “I have here a letter written by Edmund Dugdale during the year of his death, concerning the authenticity of which there can be no doubt.” ‘‘'Then we can proceed,” said Harold Pierson. Ele lifted the first letter at his hand, “It was the one purporting to be addressed by James Powers to Mrs. Orton Pierson. “ Quite evidently,” he said, “ Mr. Powers was not — an educated man. His writing is somewhat hard te decipher. The letter tells its own story.” He tead | n. y. Sept ro, 1856. “Mrs. pierson “madam : “My Wife has fond a Shirt what belongs to the child you have Adopt i sind it you how is the child gitting on 1 hope is good and is a komfort to you he 1s a quite child it has a good whome and i hope its so you will be good to it its father Edmund dugdale was a genleman and a good man. ‘MOUS OcG, “JAMES POWERS.” He laid it down, looking to the others for comment. None was made. Dick reached forward, took the letter, inspected it closely, turned it over, and observed the paper upon which it waswritten. The paper bore every appearance of age, and the letter of having been penned by an illiterate man. He thought that if the letter was a forgery it was a most skillful one. He laid it back on the table. | Harold Pierson took up another paper. It wasa certificate signed by James Powers and his wife, set- — Comicloeo S C@ 3}