The Chief Legatee

E-text prepared by Suzanne Shell, Mary Meehan, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net/)

A young girl sitting on a low stool by the window mending a rent in her skirt ( Frontispiece )
I cut them letters there fifteen years ago. Now I'm to cut 'em out
A slight, dark form steals from the shadows and lays a hand on the stooping man's shoulder
Cormorants! escaped his lips. They look for a feast of death, but they will be disappointed
What's up?
This from the manager of the Hotel —— to his chief clerk. Something wrong in Room 81?
Yes, sir. I've just sent for a detective. You were not to be found and the gentleman is desperate. But very anxious to have it all kept quiet; very anxious. I think we can oblige him there, or, at least, we'll try. Am I right, sir?
Of course, if—
Oh! it's nothing criminal. The lady's missing, that's all; the lady whose name you see here.
The register lay open between them; the clerk's finger, running along the column, rested about half-way down.