Geoffrey's Victory by Mrs Georgie Sheldon — page 117: what you’re looking at

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

A LONG AND INTERESTING CONVERSATION, 113. what became of the remainder of his fortune, which must have been very large, has been a question that has puzzled all who knew him. I think, however, he must have given away large sums at different times, and it was all distributed before he died, for no papers of any kind and no will were ever found.” “Was Miss Annie Dalea relative of this eccentric oid bachelor?” Everet inquired, “Ves; she was his niece, his own brother's child; but he never had anything to do with the family. There was some trouble between himself and his brother during their youth, and he never forgot or forgave the grudge. | Even after the girl’s father died, he refused to have any- thing to do with either mother or daughter, although I have heard that they were at times very needy.” ‘Did you ever see the girl?” | “No; my home, as you know, was in Richmond. [ was not married, and did not go to Vue de l’Kau until some three years or more after she disappeared.” “Dv you know the name of the family to whom she went as governess ¢” “No.” Mrs. Mapleson seemed to grow somewhat weary of the conversation. “It is very strange what became of her,” her son mur-— mured, reflectively. ‘‘Do you imagine there was any foul play about her disappearance ?” ‘Oh, no, indeed. She probably met some clever young man who fell in love with her and married her. Ido not kuow much about the matter anyway, only that she was _. entirely alone in the world, and I donect know as there was anything so very remarkable about her going off and never coming back again. But, mercy! Everet, I do not eare to sit here all day and talk about the Dales, even for the sake of making out your handsome orator to belong to them, which is not at all probable. Come, I want to look about a little.” Mrs. Mapleson arose as she spoke, thus putting an end to their long talk, and her son dutifully attended her wherever she wished to go; but he became more and more convinced that Annie Dale, who had so mysterious- ly disappeared many years ago, and Geoffrey Dale Huntress were in some way connected with each other. He knew that there was some Mapleson blood in the Dale veins, Seat it was a good way back, and he be- Gomicbookssco =}