The Washington times., 1913-04-27
THE TIMES DAILY SERIAL STORY

There isn't much more to tell" she
said, about what happened over there.
My memory kept coming back, stronger
and stronger all the time, until at last
/ told them-the Williamsons. l mean
that.I was perfectly competent to look
after myself now, and that meant to
go to America and find out who | was.
One of my discoveries about myself had
been that ] could paint little, and /
sold everything ] painted at pretty good
prices. So | wasn't financially depend
ent on the Willimsons. although. of
course. / owed them a debt that money
couldn't repay at all.
They hated to have me go. especially
Mrs. VILLA mson and Evelyn. and begged
me to let the Meredith girl lie quiet in
her grave down in the south of France.
But ! couldn't. Fond as I am of them
there was a-well. call of the blood, II
seemed. that drew me-
You'd remember your name by that
time?" said Jeffrey. But that wasn't
the name you went by"
NO" she said. II stuck to the hos
pital name for a while-Celeste Biroux-
until that got to seeming ridiculous.
And then, as the Williamsons wanted
me TO, | took their last name. They
for my first name ] had my own
Claire. 1t was engraved on the inside
of one of my rings"
Then" pursued Jeffrey, 1T was as
Miss Claire Williamson that you came
TO this country
She nodded.
You came aIone?' he asked.
"Of course. There wasn't any earthly
reason why l shouldn't-or, at least,
there didn't seem to be. ] landed in
New York yesterday. Yesterday? 1t
seems years since then"
What did you do with your lug
gage?" Jeffrey asked rather suddenly.
She looked at him in frank amuse-
ment. You ask the oldest questions.
she said. but did do something odd
with it, / didn't bring it through the
customs. You see. we landed just at 5
O'Clock. hadn't sent any word to my
aunt that i was coming.
Il couldn't be sure that my hand
writing would bet the same. or that she
would remember 1t. and I felt that her
first thought on getting letter from
me would be that was in impostor
thought that if could just walk in and
speak to her that that would be much
smgier gHn had ,bat set rinb, mH heart somehow
You hadn't any enmity against her
them" said Jeffrey.
No" she said in frank surprise.
Why should have? / am perfectly
was dead. For anything I know. she
may have had the disease herself"
In Jeffrey's mind, ] am sure, IS well
as in mine. was the thought of that pin
picked photograph and momentary
speculation as to what would have hap
pened If the girl had carried out her
plan and walked in upon her aunt as
she had intended.
so, as soon as we got ashore she
went on: II walked straight through
the customs barrier with nothing but
my purse, jumped into a taxi and went
straight to my aunt's town house.
How could you be sure of finding her
there" Jeffrey asked.
II knew she was still alive. I'd seen
occasional references to her in the Paris
Herald. and l knew she'd never move
or do anything like that. So / went
straight to the old address that I re-
membered. OF course. I knew that
there was possibility that she'd be at
Beech Hill.
When the taxi drove I'D to the
house there was another car standing
there-a big. six-cylinder runabout ;
and while ! was paying my driver. DR..
Crow opened the door and came Cut I
knew I'm at once. though I hadn't
sern him since l was ten or twelve
years old. and l might not have ki.own
him If I had seen him anywhere else.
But l called him by name without any
hesitation. He knew me. too
Yes said Jeffrey, Il should think
he would
Il see" she said thoughtfully. BE
cause of Irene. YOU mean"
We both nodded.
He told me that my aunt was at
Beech Hill. and he was iust surfing
for there himself. He wanted me 70 80
straight UP there with him. He said il