Page:Fletcher - The Mortover Grange Affair.pdf/322

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THE MORTOVER GRANGE AFFAIR

Clagne signed and that he and I witnessed," whispered the colliery manager. "That blue one."

Wedgwood turned away from the dead, and motioning the Superintendent to go aside with him, began to examine the papers in the light of the lanterns they had carried.

"There'll be something here that'll throw some illumination on things," he muttered. "If only I could find out . . . well, let's see what they are?"

The Superintendent watched curiously while Wedgwood rapidly looked each paper over, murmuring its drift and contents.

"This is the thing Malcolmson witnessed," muttered Wedgwood. "Statement by Janet Clagne that it was within her knowledge that after Matthew Mortover went to Canada he several times corresponded with his father, Gilson Mortover, informed him of his marriage to Louisa Patello and of the birth of his child Avice, and that through these letters Gilson became reconciled to Matthew again. Now what's been Levigne's object in getting that paper out of Janet Clagne? Ah, I see—he wanted it as a proof to the court in making that application on behalf of Avice Mortover! Well, that's that—now, what are these? Evidently the papers that Avice Mortover referred