Page:The Master of Mysteries (1912).djvu/181

 "And, by that will, you are the legal heir to the rest of the estate?"

"Of course. But the other side has claimed that it was a forgery, and, as he left all his property to his divorced wife, they have a fair case, unless we can prove that the will was genuine. Unfortunately, though the will is in our possession, having been given to mother, both the witnesses to it are dead."

"I see," said Astro, "and the letter you mentioned?"

"Was from my father to my mother, telling her that he had left her all his property. You see how important it would be to our case; but I haven't been able to find it anywhere."

"Yes, but how does the locket come into it?"

"That's what I don't know myself. That's why I came to you," Miss Dalrymple exclaimed eagerly. "I can't describe why, but I do feel that the locket has something to do with it; for my mother was delirious just before she died, and talked about the letter and the locket. She kept saying that she had been robbed—or perhaps she only feared it. Then the locket was restored so providentially, just in time; for the case is to come to court next week. Then I remember that before I went away mother was very careful of it, and kept it locked up."

"Let me see it," said the Master of Mysteries.

She unbuttoned her coat and took it from a gold chain about her neck, a small oval gold locket such as was commonly worn in the sixties. The cover, being opened, disclosed a small photograph of a beautiful woman in an old-fashioned round bonnet with roses framing the calm serious face.

Astro inspected it admiringly.