“Lost? Lost on the afternoon of the second of June? Let me look at the date of this paper. It is the fourth. Has he been found yet, I wonder? He must have been found before this. Let me see—to-day, is the twenty-ninth. He was lost twenty-six or seven days ago. How long was he lost? When was he found? I must look over the next papers and judge by them. Of course the advertisement was discontinued when the child was found.” And saying this to himself, Alexander took up the next paper in succession, and the next after that, and another and another still, until he had examined some twenty-three or four more papers. But ah! in every one of them appeared the advertisement for the lost child. And the amount of the reward offered was constantly increased. In the first half-dozen papers it was one thousand pounds; in the next it was increased to fifteen hundred; after that it was raised to three thousand pounds. The last paper he examined was one of the date of June twenty-seventh, in which the advertisement was still standing. “Good Heavens! not found up to the day before yesterday! Missing for twenty-five days!” exclaimed Alexander, as he turned over and grasped the bell pull and rang a peal that speedily brought Simms in alarm to his bedside. “It is your wound broke out again, sir?” exclaimed the valet, seeing his master’s disturbed and excited look. “No, it is nothing of the sort. Simms, go down-stairs and see if you can get me the last number of the Times that has arrived on the island. If it is not in the reading-room, or in the coffee room, or if anybody else has it, or in short, if you can’t procure it for me in the house, go out into the town and try to find it at some bookseller’s or news agent’s. Be quick, Simms.” “Yes, sir, I will,” answered the man, hurrying from the room. Alexander sank back upon his pillow to wait for his servant’s return. He had not to wait very long. In less than ten minutes Simms re-entered the chamber, bringing two papers in his hand. “Here is the Times of yesterday morning and the Express of yesterday evening, sir. I got them both of the news agent close by.” “Give them to me!” exclaimed Alexander, eagerly grasping the papers. He hastily examined the Times. Yes, there was the advertisement still standing. He turned to the Evening Express, and there also it stared him in the face, with a new date, the date of the day of publication, and with a still higher raised reward. Five thousand pounds were now offered to any person or persons who should restore the child, or give such information as should lead to restoring him to his distracted mother. “Not found up to yesterday evening! Poor Drusilla! poor, poor Drusilla! and poor little Lenny!” groaned Alick, as his eyes were rivetted upon the advertisement. Then a bright thought struck him; a Heavenly inspiration filled him. His countenance became eager and irradiated.