In a cooler moment Mabel would have hesitated to obey the advice of

an ignorant, prejudiced person, her inferior in station and

intelligence. But in the whirl of astonishment, incredulity, and

speculation created by the tale she had heard, she untied the string

which formed the primitive fastening of the worn wallet, and

unclosed it.

The main compartment contained four tickets, issued by as many

different pawnbrokers, testifying that such and such articles had

been deposited with them for and in consideration of moneys advanced

by them to Thomas Lindsay; a liquor-seller's score against William

Jones--unpaid; and a tavern bill, in which brandy and water, whiskey

and mint-juleps, were the principal items charged against Edmund

Jackson. This last was the only paper which bore the indorsement

"Rec'd payment," and this circumstance had, probably, led to its

preservation. The adjoining division of the wallet was sewed up with

stout black thread and Mabel had to resort to her scissors before

she could get at its contents. These were a couple of worn

envelopes, crumpled and dog-eared, and stained with liquor or salt

water, but still bearing the address, in a feminine hand, of

"Lieutenant Julius Lennox, U. S. N." In addition to this, one was

directed to Havana, Cuba; the other to Calcutta, in care, of a

mercantile or banking-house at each place. A third cover bore the

superscription, "CERTIFICATE," in bold characters.

The negress' watchful eyes dilated with greedy expectancy at Mrs.

Dorrance's ghastly face when this last had been examind, but she was

foiled if she hoped for any valuable addition to her store of

information, or anything resembling elucidation of her pet mystery.

"It will take me some time to read all these," remarked Mabel, still

scanning the half-sheet she held. "You had better not wait, Mammy.

They are safe with me. No one else shall see them, and no harm can

come to you through them."

She promised mechanically what she supposed would soonest buy for

her privacy and needed quiet, and gave no heed to the manifest

disappointment of her visitor.

When she was at last alone, Mrs. Dorrance relocked the door, and

bent close to the lamp, as if more light upon the surface of the

document would tend to clear up the terrible secret thus strangely

committed to her discretion and mercy. The paper was a certificate,

drawn up in regular form, and signed by a clergyman, whose address

was appended below, in a different hand writing--of a marriage

between Julius Lennox and Clara Louise Dorrance.

"Her very name!" repeated the whitening lips. "I remember asking her

once what the 'L' in her signature stood for."




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