'I have a good and sufficient reason for this,' he wrote in conclusion,
'and I enjoin it upon you to carry out my wishes as readily as you would
were I to speak to you from my grave,'
This done, Frank felt a little better, and the shadow at his side was
not quite as real as it had been before. He put his will and his dying
request together in a private drawer with Gretchen's photograph, and the
testament with the handwriting in it. He had kept this back when the
stranger's trunk was sent to the cottage, thinking that if it were
missed and inquired for, he could easily produce it as having been
mislaid. At the suggestion of Mr. St. Claire he went to New York, to the
office of the German line of steamers, and made inquiries with regard to
the passengers who had come on a certain ship at such a time. But
nothing could be learned of any woman with a child, and after inserting
in several of the New York papers a description of the woman, with a
request for any information concerning her which could be given, he
returned home, with a feeling that he had done all that could be
required of him, and that he might now enjoy himself.
He was accordingly kind and even tender to his brother, who for several
weeks suffered from low nervous depression, which kept him altogether in
his room, to which he refused to admit any one except his attendant and
Frank.
Pages:
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218