The Dead Letter. Metta Victoria Fuller Victor
to her story to the landlady, very much attached to her poor cousin, and could not cast off the little one for her sake.”
“All of which may be true—”
“Or false—as the case may turn.”
“It certainly will not be difficult to ascertain if such a cousin really married and died, as represented. The girl has not returned to her work yet, I suppose?”
“She has not. Her absence gives the thing a bad look. Some connection she undoubtedly has with the case; as for how deeply she was involved in it, we will only know when we find out. Whoever the child’s mother may have been, it seems evident, from the tenor of the landlady’s story, that Miss Sullivan is much attached to it; it is safe to presume that, sooner or later, she will return to look after it. In her anxiety to reach the nest, she will fly into the trap. I have made arrangements by which I shall be informed if she appears at any of her former haunts, or at the house of the nurse. And now, I believe, I will go up to Blankville with you for a single day. I wish to see the ground of the tragedy, including Mr. Argyll’s residence, the lawn, the library from which the money was abstracted, etc. A clear picture of these, carried in my mind, may be of use to me in unexpected ways. If we hear nothing of her in the village, I will return to the city, and await her reäppearance here, which will be sure to occur within a month.”
“Why within a month?”
“Women risk themselves, always, where a little child demands it. When the nurse finds the baby abandoned by its protector, and the wages unpaid, she will throw the charge upon the authorities. To prevent this, the girl will be back here to see after it. However, I hope we shall not be a month getting at what we want. It will be curious if we don’t finish the whole of this melancholy business before that. And, by the way, you and young Argyll had quite a hide-and-seek race the other night!” and when I looked my astonishment at this remark, he only laughed. “It’s my profession, you know,” was his only explanation.
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