hem, neatly
sealed in wrappers of the National City Bank, and each endorsed to
contain ten thousand dollars.

"Why did your father require all this money?" I asked, but Miss
Vaughan shook her head.

"He always kept money there," she said, "though I never knew the
amount."

[Illustration: "Oh, Master, receive me!"]

I glanced at the yogi, but his revery remained unbroken. Then I laid
the packets on the table and dipped deeper into the drawer. There were
two bank-books, some memoranda of securities, a small cash-book,
and, at the very bottom, an unsealed envelope endorsed, "Last will and
testament of Worthington Vaughan."

"Here we are," I said, took it out, and replaced the rest of the
contents. "Shall we read it now?"

"Yes, I should like to read it," she answered quietly.

The document was a short one. It had evidently been drawn by Vaughan
himself, for it was written simply and without legal phrases. It had
been witnessed by Henry and Katherine Schneider, and was dated only a
week previously--but three days before the murder.

"Who are these witnesses?" I asked.

"They are the cook and the gardener."

"Do you recognise your father's writing?"

"Oh, yes; there can be no question as to that."

It was a peculiar writing, and a very characteristic one; not easy to
read until one grew accustomed to it. But at the end of a few minutes
I had mastered it. The provisions of the will were simple: Elmhurst
and the sum of one million dollars in negotiable securities were left
absolutely to "my dear and revered Master, Francisco Silva, Priest of
the Third Circle of Siva, and Yogi of the Ninth Degree, to whom I owe
my soul's salvation," the bequest to be used for the purpose of
founding a monastery for the study of the doctrines of Saivaism, and
as an asylum for all true believers. The remainder of his estate was
left absolutely to his daughter, to dispose of as she saw fit. "It is,
however, my earnest wish", the will concluded, "that my daughter
Marjorie should enter upon the Way, and accept the high destiny which
the Master offers her as a Priestess of our Great Lord. May the
All-Seeing One guide her steps aright!"

There was a moment's silence as I finished; then I glanced at Miss
Vaughan. Her eyes were fixed; her face was rapt and shining.

She felt my gaze upon her, and turned to face me.

"As your attorney, Miss Vaughan," I said, "it is my duty to advise you
that this will would probably not hold in law. I