But Julian was
dubious how ill treatment and lack of nourishment might have transformed
the heir of the proud Archibald Royston, and in each instance he summoned
Lillian through long journeys, tortured with alternations of hope and
suspense, to inspect the waif. All without avail. True, she invariably
bettered the condition of the little creature, thus fortunate in
attracting her notice, purveying clothes and food, and paying a good
round price for the consent of its keepers to place it in some orphanage
or other juvenile refuge. So exhaustive, so judicious, so tireless, was
the search, so rich the reward, that as time went by and no result
ensued, the authorities became more than ever convinced that since the
child's abduction was complicated with the more desperate crime of
Briscoe's murder, this effectually precluded any attempt at his
restoration by the kidnappers; for indeed, to those who knew the facts,
the large reward was obviously the price of a halter. As this theory
gained strength, their ardor in the search declined, and Lillian and
Julian realized that more than ever the child's restoration would depend
on their individual exertions.
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