The Red Cloud chief., 1906-01-26

dSlOllSleu Int IltIlp rat Keep
wv err Of the inn and inquired
the location Of the office Of
the registrar Of births. 1t was two
steps away In the Rue Alphonse Karr,
but would not be open for three hours
at least. Would messieurs have their
coffee now? No, messieurs would not
have their coffee until they returned.
Where would they find the residence of
the registrar Of births-his residence7
That was another matter. His resi-
dence was some little distance away,
near the casino, at the right. We
should ask for Maitre Fingret. Any one
could tell us. When should messieurs
be expected to return? 1t was impos-
sible to say.
We set off along the street, leaving
the innkeeper staring after rs.
"Maitre Fingret?" we inquired Of tn,
first passerby, and he pointed us to q
little house half hidden In vines.
A knock brought the notary himself
to the door, a little dried up man, with
keen face and eyes incredibly bright.
My companion explained our errand In
laborious French, supplemented by
much gesticulation - 1t Is wonderful
how the hands can help one to talk
and after q time the little Frenchman
caught his meaning and hustled away
to get his hat and coat, seeming a fat
fee. Our first step was to be an easy
one, thanks to the severity and thor.
oughness of French administration,
but I admit that l saw not what we
should do further, once we had verified
the date Of Miss Holidays birth.
The notary unlocked the door, showed
us into his office and set our chairs for
us; then he got down his register of
births for 1876. 1t was not a large
book, for the births at Etretat are not
overwhelming in number.
THE name, | think you said, was
H%olladayT' he asked.
Hiram w. Holiday" nodded Mr..
Royce.
And the date June 1872"
Yes; June TO-"
The little man ran his finger rapidly
down the page, then went back again
and read the entries one by one more
slowly, with a 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, mo
such birth is recorded here. l have ex.
amined the record for the months Of
May, June and July"
But 1t must be there!' protested
Mr.. Royce.
Nevertheless it Is not here"
"Could the child have been born hero
and no record made of itT"
impossible, monsieur"
For a large fee, perhaps" suggested
my companion.
I'm Paris that may sometimes be pos.
sible. But in a small place like this I
should have heard of it,"
You have been here for that length
of time, thenT
"Oh, yes, monsieur" smiled the little
man. "FOr a much longer time than
that"
Mr.. Royce leaned forward toward
him. He was getting back all his old
power as a cross examiner.
IN. 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 a
daughter was born to them. Think
again. Have you no recollection of
them or of the event?"
The little notary sat for some mo.
ments with knitted brows. At last he
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 I cannot
know all of them. Nevertheless II
seemed to me for a moment that there
was about the name a certain famil.
iarity-as of an old tune, you know,
forgotten for years. Yet 1t must have
been my fancy merely, for / have no
recollection of the event you mention"
There was one other chance, and I
gave Mr.. Royce the clew.
IN. Fingret,' he asked, "are you
acquainted with a man Of the name
of Pierre BethuneT"
! And again the notary shook his head.