my opinion now. No," continued Frank definitely, "what future there is for us must be worked out by our own independent exertions."
"It is a bitter wrong then," spoke his mother. "When your father, Mr. Newton, died, he left me his town property here. When I married a second time, and Mr. Ismond became your stepfather, I had implicit confidence in him at first. He got me to sign the property over to him. Then I saw my mistake. When his tyrannical ways drove you away from home I lost all regard for him."
"He certainly was very cruel and unjust to me," murmured Frank, recalling many dark days of his young life.
"When he died," resumed Frank's mother, "I was amazed to find that all my rights to the estate were forfeited. It looked very much as though Mr. Ismond had been planning to rob us of everything when death overtook him. A man named Purnell, Gideon Purnell, held the title to our property under mortgage and sale. He sold it to Abner Dorsett, who now holds it. The law says Dorsett was an Innocent purchaser, and therefore cannot be disturbed."
"Innocent!" flashed out Frank. "Oh, what a shame! Why, we know better than that, mother. We are sure that Purnell was his tool and partner.
