MR.

TALLBOYS' VISITOR.
Mr.Withers was fully justified in his conviction that there need be no doubt as to the view Mabel would take of the Miss Penfold's offer.
The girl had hitherto been in entire ignorance both as to the will being missing, and of the interest she had in it.

She was now called in from the garden, and was much surprised when her father told her to sit down, as he and her mother wished to have a serious talk with her.
"Do you know, my little Mabel," he began, "that you have had a narrow escape of being an heiress ?" "An heiress, papa! Do you mean of having a lot of money ?" "Yes, of coming in some day to a fortune.

Mr.Penfold some time ago confided to your mother and me his intention of dividing his property equally between Ralph Conway and yourself." "What! all the Penfold estates, papa, and the house and everything ?" "Yes, my dear.

Everything, including the large sum of money that has accumulated during the years Mr.Penfold has not been spending a third of his income." "Then if he meant that, papa, how is it that I am not going to be an heiress ?" "Simply, my dear, because the will by which Mr.Penfold left the property to you and Ralph is missing." Mr.Withers then told the whole story of the loss of the will, the search that had been made for it, and the strong grounds there were for believing in the existence of some secret place in the Hall, and that this place of concealment was known to Mr.Penfold's sisters.
"But they surely could never be so wicked as that, papa.