understand it. She must at some time have made a will. Show me
documents!"

"There was no will," said Mr. Reed. "As for documents,"--here he arose,
walked to a high, old-fashioned secretary, unlocked a drawer, and
produced two letters,--"you may recognize these!" and he unfolded the
yellow, time-worn sheets before Mr. Slade's astonished eyes--astonished,
not that they were his own letters, betraying his full knowledge of his
sister's loss of property, but that Mr. Reed should be able to produce
them after all these fourteen years.

"See here!" said that gentleman, showing him one of the letters, and
pointing to these heartless words in Slade's own handwriting: "_It's
terrible news; for now that Kate's money is gone, as well as herself, I
know there's nothing more to look for in that quarter._"

Slade scrutinized the passage with well-feigned curiosity. But he had
his revenge ready.

"Seeing as you've a fancy for old letters, George, may be this 'ere will
interest you."

Was it magic? Another yellow letter, very much soiled and worn, appeared
to jump from Slade's pocket and open itself upon the table before Mr.
Reed's eyes. He recognized Kate's clear, bright penmanship at a glance.

"Read it," said Eben, standing close, and still keeping hold of the
letter.

And Mr. George read:

"_In my extremity, Eben, I appeal to you. By this
time you may be yourself again, turned from all
evil ways. I married against my brother George's
consent--and he has as good as cast me off. We are
penniless; my husband seems completely broken
down. He may not live long. My brother Wolcott has
just died. I am too proud to go to his widow, or
to my brother George. Oh, Eben, if I starve, if I
die, will you take my baby-girl? Will you care for
her for our dead mother's sake?_"

"I'd have done my duty by that baby," said Eben Slade, slowly folding
the letter, and looking with hateful triumph into Mr. Reed's pale face.
"I'd have had my rights, too, and you never should have seen hide nor
hair of the child if it had lived. I wish it had; she'd 'a' been handy
about the house by this time, and my wife, whose temper is none of the
best, would have had some one to scold besides me, as well as some one
to do the chores. What have you got belonging to the child? What's hers
is mine. Where's the baby-clothes,--the things that Robertson's people
mu