The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-13


 should be established a choir in the
 neighboring chapel. Mir. Bintrey bowed
 and took another glass of wine. Eccen-
 tricities on the part of wealthy clients he
 was accustomed to take as a. matter Of course.
 As soon as Mir. Bintrey was gone there came in old Joey Ladle, the ancient head eelarman of the house A sort of dray- horse man was Joey. Walter explained his plan for happy family to him. Don't look to me to do it, young Master Wild ing" said Joey mournfully, mot at my time of life. Many time when they have said to me put a livelier face upon it. Joey I have replied, Gentlemen, it's all very well for you that is accustomed to take your wine into your systems by the conwivial channels of your throttles 70 put a lively face upon it, but says, I have been accustomed to take my wine through the pores of my skin by reason of exist ing so long a time in them there mouldy wine vaults, where the vapors is, and takn in that way, it acts depressing
 Walter soothed the always disgTuntied pdt always faithful old fellow, and Joey agreed to take a peck as he called H. at the common table-but join in any sing ling class he would not. And you are a. going to take young Master George Ven dale into partnership, I hear said Joey. q am" Well and good. But don't change the name again. It was risky. mighty risky, when you changed the old firm name of Pebbeson Nephew to Your self & Co., Good luck always stuck to Pebbleson Nephew. You should never change luck when it's good" 'T have no intention of changing the firm name again." said Walter-and Joey. with a sigh and mournful shake of the head, withdrew to his dreary, moldy, damp wine vaults in the depths of the earth.
 From the many applicants for the posi- l ton of housekeeper Wilding selected a Mrs. Sarah Goldstraw. She was woman of perhaps 50 and looked even younger, with a face remarkable for placid cheer fulness. She was widow of some years standing She had lived as housekeeper with only one person since her husbands S decease-a widow lady who had recently died She had the best of references. When the housekeeper after her arrival went to the dining room to receive in- structions from her master Walter paused in giving them to say: There IS some thing about your manner, Mrs. Goldstraw' which is familiar What can 1t be?' Mrs. Goldstraw's eyer were fixed In won der upon a picture of Walters mother which hung over the mantelpiece, and she l reueated. as if in a dream, What can 1t be-" My mother when she was five and twenty" said Walter proudly. "A very
 beautiful woman" Excuse me- said
 Walter but did you ever occupy any other situation than that of housekeeper?' Yes; before my marriage I was nurse , in founding asylum" That's 1t! That's tr' cried Walter; their manner is the
 manner you remind me of"
 : Then he went on to tell, in his frank and voluble way, the story of his life as far as he knew 1t. The housekeeper lis tened in evident distress of mind. espe' cially when he told how one of the at tendants had identified him by touching l him on the shoulder so that his mother
 should know him. Finally she sat looking
 at him with a face as pale as death and 1
 What does this mean?" said Walter
 ..Tell me. There is something l ought tt know and do not know Tell mel
 With tears and lamentations that sht should have ben, although innocently the cause of terrible mistake. Sally
 told her story. For Mrs. Sarah Gold
 straw was that Sally whom we frs
 saw on the night she was touched bl
 the yelled lady upon issuing from th'
 Founding hospital. Shortly after Sal ly had told the yelled lady the nam of her child there came to the found
 sngs' institution in the country an other lady who wished to adopt one o the children. She called Walter Wild ing. "The child of the lady who's portrait hangs here," said Sally. Sooi after there was another infant boy t' be named, and the name Walter Wild ing having been scratched off the book of the institution that name was givei to another boy. Sally then left the in stitution to be married.
 It was the second Walter Wildins
 who had been touched on the shoulde by the attendant and been adopted al
 her son by Walters supposed motheg Sally knew nothing of the woman wht had adopted the true Walter Wildina and only remembered that she had said
 "The child will be brought up in z
 milder climate than this. l am going to take him to Switzerland. Walter felt the room swim before him-"My head, my headr he cried out and be- came half unconscious.
 The alarmed housekeeper at length restored him to himself with glass of wine and by bathing his head with wa ter .Why should you distress your self?" said she, 'he may not be now alive and can not be in want, for the l woman who adopted him was evident Ky a woman of wealth. You truly loved the woman whose portrait hangs there as vour mother and she loved you as her son" "Ah, it Is because I did love her that I feel it a sacred duty to do justice to her son; leave me for lit- tie while, Mrs. Goldstraw."
 George Vendale. Walters new partner. came in and Walter, after sending for
 MT. Bntrey. told them the whole story. To all their objections Walter only an- swered that he must at once begin in- quiries and if he could find the true Wall ter Wilding he would hand over to him his property. In case he could not he then and there ordered MT. Bintrey to
 draw up a will by which he left to Bin
 trey and vendale all his property to be