The Lost Heir

onstant in his inquiries as to his health than Mr. Simcoe. He had seen Hilda before she start

am afraid that he will find time hang heavily on his hands, and he will not mind writing. I do not like writ

ding a short weekly bulletin, not only to Mr.

'The General has made some slight progress this week,' or 'The General remains in very much the same state,' or 'I am glad to be able to record some slight improvement

t grapes, a few choice peaches, and other fruit from abroad. Of flowers they had plenty in their own conservatories at Holmwood, while game was abundant, fo

chine that would hold a book at any angle desired, while at the same time there wa

e of yours is very thoughtful and k

not send things. We can get anything we want from Warwick or Leamington, or indeed from London, me

, Hilda; and I certainly look forward to seein

pettishly. "Of course, if uncle means to go to his club, it will

ilda, stated in his last report that the General would be going up to town in a day or two, b

gth, but this soon died away, and he had to be helped from the railway carriage to the brougham, and lif

y frequently sat looking out of the window, and it is possible that the succession of objects passing rapidly before the eye has had the same effect of inducing giddiness that waltzing has to one unaccustomed to it. I trust that to-morrow the effect will have passed off. I had, as you know, intended to sleep at a friend's chambers to-n

the cab arrived. He had on the way learned from Tom Roberts the state in w

roken down b

y ba

s I said to you, I thought it would be better to dissuade him from going to his club. He might see a few of his friends and have a quiet chat with them here. His pulse is

"A sudden failure of brain power. He was absolutely unable to make any effort t

the bed and examining the patient closely. "Do you see there is a slight

ge, and I am afraid that to-morrow we shall find that he has lost, partially o

arson

ould we wish it to be otherwise. Still,

s opinion in his face

say he is going t

aling from you that neither Dr. Leeds nor myself have the slightest hope of his ultimate recovery. There can be

have been himself again, never have enjoyed his life. There would have been an ever-present anxiety and a dread of a recurrence of that fit. You will see in time that it

a time only for silent sympathy, and her gentle words and the warm pressure of Netta's hand did more to restor

a line in your name to Col

now that Colonel Bulstrode is his greatest friend and is named one of his trustees, and uncle might want to talk to him. Oh, how one wishes at a time

awyers," Miss Pu

the dear little fellow down at Holmwood, it will be so sad and dull for him here, and he would have been very happy in the country. But perhaps it is best

ss Purcell said. "I think it is best that he should be here, and as t

as dimly conscious of her presence, and when she brought the child down and he laid his hand on that of the General, and said "Good-morning, gra

e experiment was worth making, and it proves tha

s dinner with the oth

the footman; "have you sent him up

because nurse has not come

inutes," Hilda said. "She is very pun

TING ON A CHAIR,

s came in with a scared expression

iss, nurse wishes

Hilda exclaimed, starting up. "

as come home, and she is just like a wild thin

ants, and who had been in charge of the child since he arrived a baby from India, was sitting on a chair, sobbing bitterly. Her bonnet hung down at the b

r you are always so careful with him. There is no occasion to be so terribly upset. Of course he will soon

leman.' 'Well,' said he, 'I can see that you have a kind heart, anyhow; that is what made me speak to you. I am a carpenter, I am, and I have been out of work for months, and I have a child at home just about this one's age. He is starving, and I haven't a bit to put in his mouth. The parish buried my wife three weeks ago, and I am well-nigh mad. Would you give me the money to buy him a loaf of bread?' The man was in such dis

signs of him, and I knew that he could not have got as far as this, even if he had run all the way. Then I thought of the mews, and I ran back there. Master Walter was very fond of horses, and he generally stopped when we got to the entrance of the mews, and stood looking for a minute or two at the grooms cleaning the horses, and I thought

and then do you and James go all round the neighborhood and tell every policeman that you meet what has happened. You can ask in all the shops in Queen's Road and the streets near; he

me with you

we are out. We will come every half-hour to hear if there is news of him. You had better go upstairs and make yourself tidy, nurse, and then you can come out and join in the hunt.

e woman said. "I will just run upstairs and

will be taken for a madwoman; you cert

er Hilda and he

nto the main road, he would very likely wander in. It is probable that nurse may have been longer s

se to see whether there was any news of him. Finding that there was not, they again went out. They had no real hopes of finding him n

he has been taken by them to the police station. Still, it relieves one to walk about; it would be impossible to sit quiet, doing nothing. The others

ad gone off watch for a few hours at twelve o'clock, returned. He looked grave for a moment when he heard the news, bu

to the police station long bef

in, and the idea of informing the police has never occurred to her for a moment, and, unfortunately, may not occur for some little time. However, if you will give me the details of his dress, I will go at once with it to the printer's

the faint idea of finding the child asleep on a doorstep, and went three times to the police station to ask if there was any news. The first thing in the morning Hilda went with Dr. Leeds to Scotland Yard, and the description of the child was at o

e up your mind that you may not see the little fellow as soon as you expect. Had he been merely lost, you should certainly have heard of him in a few hours after the various and

ave become of hi

man, his nurse, in a long rambling talk; the other picks the child quietly up or entices him away to the next corner, where he has a cab in waiting, and drives off with him at once. However, in neither case need you fear that the child will come to serious harm. If he has been stolen for the sake of his clothes the woman will very speedily turn him adrift, and he will be brought home to you by the police in rags. If, on the other hand, he has been taken for the purpose of blackmail, you may be sure that he will be well cared for, for he will, in the eyes of those w

me that he has but little hope of his doing so. He thinks that there has been a slight shock of paralysis. Dr. Leeds speaks

cell and her niece, are

ouble. I don't know what I should do without them,

this boy send it straight to me. I do not know whether you

ought then that he would not live till Walter cam

; "your uncle's was apparently an excellent life, and he w

you can advise me

ild they are in search of in rags. They will know, too, the quarter in which he is most likely to be found. If it is for this purpose that he has been stolen you can confidently expect to have him back by to-morrow at l

Netta herself opened the door, and he

ead?" Hilda

wn himself for a moment, almost directly he had gone up, and said that the General was sinking fast, a