The young law student looked up with a start. He had forgotten all about the will in the excitement of having Irene safe again. But she had changed so! He couldn’t quite understand this new, beautiful Irene—this Irene who was an heiress.
“Why, er—yes,” he said. “I believe everything is legally yours, even the royalties from that new book Emily Grimshaw is publishing.”
Dale and Judy looked first at each other and then at Irene. Both of them were wondering the same thing. How could Emily Grimshaw have the book published if the manuscripts were missing? Dale was the first to put the thought into words.
“They aren’t missing any more,” Irene replied and darted back inside the door. When the others had joined her in Pauline’s sitting room she opened a small suitcase that stood on the floor and gave the papers a toss onto the table.
“There they are—every blessed one of them. I packed them with my things so Uncle Jasper wouldn’t see me take them. Why don’t you give them all back to Emily Grimshaw in the morning?”
“But what will I tell her?” gasped Judy. “I can’t tell her you stole them. What will I say? Oh, why did you do it? Can’t you see all the trouble it has caused? Really, Irene, you’re dreadfully hard-hearted.”
“Am I?” The golden-haired girl smiled wanly. “And all the time I thought you were, not to come and see me.”
“How could we have come?”
“I told you in my letter. It explained everything but now, oh, now it’s going to be harder to explain.”
“What letter? Did you get a letter?” Dale turned and demanded of Judy.