“How do you know that it is furnished?” Colonel Mapleson asked, turning around and glancing sharply at his son. Everet colored. “I was riding by there, one day, and felt a curiosity to look inside the house——” “But the curtains are all drawn,” interrupted his father. “True; but I managed to get a glimpse for all that,” the young man returned, lightly, although he did not care to tell just how he had learned that the house was furnished. “By the way,” he continued, “there is some strange story about the disappearance of Mrs. Dale’s daughter, isn’t there?” “Yes, I believe so; she went away somewhere to get a place as governess, and, as she never came back, people imagined there was some mystery about it.” “What is your theory regarding it?” Everet asked. “My theory? I don’t know as I have any; I was away traveling at the time. She may have gone as governess into some family, who afterward went abroad, taking her with them; or, what is more likely, she may have married and removed to some distant portion of the country.” “One would suppose that she would have wished to dispose of the furniture in her home before going away permanently,” Everet observed. “Oh, the furniture belongs with the cottage—didn’t I tell you?” replied his father. “No, you didn’t,” said Everet, dryly, and thinking old Jazeb Mapleson must have been pretty lavish with his money to have furnished the cottage in such a luxurious style for his poor relatives. “At all events,” he continued, “it is strange that she did not communicate her plans, whatever they were, to some one whom she had known, isn’t it?” “Well, perhaps; but it seems to me that you are strangely interested in the fate of this girl, Ev,” and his father turned about again and looked him squarely in the face, as he said this. Again the young man colored. “I don’t see anything very remarkable about it, when I have just discovered a fortune for her,” he replied, after a moment of hesitation. “Well, no; there is something in that argument, surely,” returned his father, in a tone of conviction. “How much does it amount to?” and Colonel Mapleson took up the certificates and began to examine them. CHAPTER XXXIV. ROBERT DALE’S WILL BROUGHT TO LIGHT. He looked each paper carefully through, writing down the amounts represented, and finally adding them to find the sum. “Well, it makes quite a handsome little fortune, when we take into consideration the fact that it has been accumulating all these years,” he said, as he pushed toward his son the paper upon which he had been figuring. “And yet,” he added, “I know that this cannot represent one-half of Robert Dale’s fortune. What can have become of the rest?” “He may have given it away during his life,” Everet suggested.