, I
feel that at the end of twenty years I should have made an effort to
find the real owners without the aid of a letter."

"And did you not do so?"

"No; I was engaged in large transactions, and the fact that the twenty
years had expired escaped my memory, and five years or more elapsed
before I recalled the fact of the letter; then I placed the matter in
the hands of a detective. He advertised and made search. He questioned
as concerned the appearance of the man who deposited the fortune with
me, but I could give him no more information than I have given you."

"I think, sir, you have been faithful to your trust."

"It is very kind of you to say so, but I cannot agree with you. I blame
myself, and if the owner of the fortune is not found, I always shall
blame myself."

"What more could you have done?"

"Had I started in immediately after the expiration of the twenty years I
might have been successful. The real owners of the fortune might have
known something about the affair and have been on the lookout for
information, but after five years they may have given up in despair."

"And you want me to find the owner of the fortune?"

"Yes."

"I certainly will perform a great detective feat if I succeed."

"Yes, you will."

"Accident may aid me; I owe a great deal to accident in my past
investigations."

"I will tell you one thing: it is worth your while to succeed."

"I do not doubt that."

"You will earn more money for this one success than you could possibly
earn in many years--indeed, I can promise you twenty-five thousand
dollars in case you discover the real heir and furnish absolute proofs
as to identity."

"But remember, I have not a single clue. Forty years have elapsed since
the fortune was placed in your hands. The chances are that all the heirs
are dead."

"That is true," said Mr. Townsend.

"True practically, and yet there is a possibility that an heir lives,
and is ignorant of a fortune which would be his or hers in case of
identification."

"Again, that is true."

"How long since any one was engaged on the case?"

"It is fourteen or fifteen years. After the failure of the detective I
employed, at the end of twenty-five years I made no further efforts;
that man devoted a whole year to the case."

"Where is he now? He must have secured some data."

"He is dead."

"And did he never give you any data?"

"He never did; on the contrary, he informed me that it was a hopeless
case u