“Because he forgot to ask me,” said Effie, demurely. [Illustration: “BECAUSE HE FORGOT TO ASK ME”] “Do you mean you would if he did?” “If he ever does, I shall tell him, but I’ve no intention of telling you, now or then,” said Effie, firmly. “Dorothy Jane,” said the Doctor, with a narrow escape from being very sensible, for once, “it occurs to me that Euphemia only displays a suitable degree of feminine reserve and delicacy.” “Feminine fiddlesticks,” replied his third. “This is what comes of chemical apparatuses, and buggy-riding, and walks, and talks, and upsets in the lake. I hope he’ll never come back, I do. Are his mother and sister going with him?” “I believe not,” said Effie. “There’s the stage, now; you can look out of the window and see for yourself.” Mrs. Dryer acted instantly on Effie’s suggestion, but the latter stepped as quickly to the front door, and it was not in defiance of “Dorothy Jane” that the white signal waved so gay a farewell from the window of the departing stage-coach. And Dr. Dryer went back to his duties that afternoon, with a dim idea that the schoolroom was a sort of refuge, after all, in spite of Zebedee Fuller. CHAPTER XXIX THE BLACK VALISE IS OPENED When Mr. Ashbel Norton called on Judge Danvers, according to appointment, that Monday morning, he found the old lawyer alone in his private office, with a small, black leather valise lying on the table before him. “Good-morning, Mr. Norton,” he said to his visitor. “Do you recognize this at all?” “Perfectly well,” replied Norton. “I have seen it a hundred times.” “When and where?” “In the hands of my brother-in-law, at his house, years ago. I could scarcely say how often. He kept many of his papers in it, often matters of value. It was a handy thing to carry to and from his banking-house, or to put away and lock up anywhere.” “It is part of the property, then, of which you came in search?” “Assuredly. I should certainly claim it if it were not already in your own custody.” “I shall then proceed to take the responsibility of opening it,” said the Judge, as he touched his little bell; “but I must have witnesses.” In a moment more, two law-clerks were called in as “lookers-on,” while another sat at a desk and wrote out an inventory of the various papers and matters in the valise, as the Judge called them off. “No money,” he said, at last. “Of course not,” replied Mr. Norton; “we could trust Robert for that. Nor anything he could handily turn into money. That is the will, beyond doubt, and it has evidently been opened and read.” “No harm for us to read it over again, then,” said the Judge. “I’ll excuse you now, gentlemen.” The moment they were alone, the Judge proceeded with a perusal of the ancient-looking document, while Ashbel Norton listened.