Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-01-18

/ wv err OF the inn and inquired
the location of the office o.
the registrar Of births 1t was twt
steps away in the Rue Alphonse Kari
but would not be open for three hour:
at least Would messieurs have thei
coffee now? No, messieurs would no
have their coffee until they returned
Where would they find the residence o
the registrar of births-his residence
That was another matter. His resi-
dence was some little distance away
near the casino, at the right. W.
should ask for Maitre Fingret. Any one
could tell US When should messieur'
be expected to return? 1t was impos
sible to say.
We set off along the street. leaving
the innkeeper staring after us.
"Maitre Fingret?s we inquired of tn
first passerby. and he pointed us to
little house half hidden in vines.
A knock brought the notary himsel
to the door, a little dried up man. Wit
keen face and eyes Incredibly bright
| Ny COM panion cx .aained our errand IL
laborious French. supplemented b.
much gesticul&tion lit is wondcrfu
how the hands cam help one TO tax
and after a time the !itte Tfenehmai
caught his meaning and BUSTED aNaE
to get his hat AMI coat. seeming "a
fee Cur Grsi step was % be an cas-!
one, THANKS 10 tie severity in'l thor
| oughness vi french :idtlins trltion
but admit that l saw not what WI
should do further, once we bad verified
| the date of Miss Holladays birth.
The notary unlocked the door, showed
us into his office and set our chairs fol
us; then he got down his register OF
births for 1876. 1t was not large
book, for the births at Etretat are no'
overwhelming in number.
1.-The name. think You said, was
HoladayY' he asked.
Hiram w. Holiday" nodded Mr.
Royce.
"And the date June 10Y'
Eyes; June TO-"
! The little man ran his finger rapidly
| down the page. then went back again
| anu Ieull IllC Clitl lSo YIN ny OhAS NV
slowly, with pucker Of perplexity
about his lips. He turned the leaf, be
gan farther back and read through the
list again. while we sat watching him
At last he shut the book
"Messieurs," he said quietly. "nt
such birth is recorded here. have ex
amined the record for the months o.
May, June and July"
But 1t must be there!" protested
Mr.. Royce.
| Nevertheless it is not here"
could the child have been born here
and no record made of it!"
Impossible, monsieur"
For large fee, perhaps" suggested
my companion.
"In Paris that may sometimes be pos
sible. But in a small place like this
should have heard of it,
"You have been here for that length
of time, then?"
"Oh, yes, monsieur smiled the LITTLE
man. For a much longer time thar
that"
Mr.. Royce leaned forward toward
him. He was getting back all his ole
power as a cross examiner.
M Fingret,' he began impressively
81 am quite certain that Hiram W
Holiday and his wife were here dur
ing the months of May, June and July
1876, and that while they were here :
daughter was born to them. Thinl
again. Have you no recollection O
them or of the event?'
The little notary sat for some mo
ments with knitted brows. At last III
shook his head.
That would be the height Of the sea
son, you see, monsieur" he said apollo
getically. There are a great man,
people here at that time, and canno
know all Of them. Nevertheless i
seemed to me for moment that there
was about the name certain famil
iarity-as of an old tune, you know
forgotten for years. Yet it must have
been my fancy merely, for 1 have NJ
recollection Of the event you mention.
There was one other chance, and
gave Mr. Royce the clew.
"M Fingret," he asked, "are 70,
acquainted with man of the nam,
Of Pierre BethuneY
And again the notary shook his head
Cor Jasper Martigny?"
II never before heard either name.''
We sat silent moment, in despair
Was our trip to Etretat to be of NJ
avail? Where was my premonitiol
now? If we had lost the trail thu:
early in the chase, what hope wa!
there that we should ever run dow
the quarry? And how explain til,
fact that no record had been made O
Frances Holidays birth? Why should
her parents have wished to conceal it
An hour had passed, the shops wer,
opening and hustle of life reached u!
through the open door.
1.-The first train for three days il
about to arrive" said the little notary
Again we fell silent Mr. Royce go
out his purse and paid the fee. w
had come to an impasse-a closed way
We could go no farther. could SCI
that the notary was ahungered for hi
roll and coffee. With sigh, l aros,
to go. The notary stepped to thu
door and looked UP the street.
"Ah," he said, 1.-The train has arrived
but 1t seems there We're not many pas
sengers Here is one, though, wh'
| ,,ac fofrbad limo iorrnevO