The Dugdale Millions — page 311: what you’re looking at

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

HAROLD'S PROOF. 301 ting forth that the child taken by Mrs. Orton Piersoa on August 29, 1856, was the child of Edmund Dug- dale, who was a lodger with them, and who had died on July 8, 1856, in their house. Dick examined this also, comparing its signature with the one of the letter. Even to his practiced eye the two seemed to be exactly the same. This one Mr. Stanton examined. Harold Pierson this time did not wait for comments when he had perused it, but hurried on to the next. This was one purporting to be a letter written by Edmund Dugdale to Mrs. Tomlinson, “This letter,” he said,“ we can give no explanation of. It was found among Mrs. Orton Pierson’s papers with the two I have just read. It is supposed, how- ever, that it was written a day or two before his death but never dispatched. It is briet and—pathetic.” ‘“Mrs. TOMLINSON : “TI do not think I will last long. I am growing weaker hourly. I want to seé my child once more and clasp him in my arms before I die. Will you not bring him to me? “ Yours thankfully, ‘EDMUND DUGDALE.” Dick thought he observed signs of anxiety and nervousness in young Pierson’s manner while he was reading this letter. But the thought was driven from his mind by another and that was, that the letter fitted in well with the story Mrs. Tomlinson had told him. Mr. Hetlow took up the letter of Edmund Dugdale lying before him, an action noticed by Harold Pier. son. “One moment,” he said. ‘“ Before any comparison is made, let me dispose of the remaining paper.” He then read an affidavit made by Thomas Full- crave, setting forth in that verbose phraseology lawyers Comicboolkkxs C© 3