The Washington times., 1913-11-13
CHAPTER Xx.-(continued.)

4
X yORKE bow ed, and as the old gen
" tleman remained standing i'm
movably he accepted the dis
1 missaI.
| Good day, Mr.. Hollins. Again, 1 an
sorry to have troubled YOU
And, turning, he left the room.
| He was conscious of the effect hi
words had had upon the aged man
Knew tina: he had at last run to cart
| the object OF his search, and unwilling
iy stumbled upon yet another myster,
IN this exasperatihgly complicated
affair.
The fact that Mr. Charles Hollins wa,
not In the present city directory nigh
be accounted for in that his home wa
! situated beyond the township limits
but that there was no record in tn,
city register of either the birth. mar
| rage or death of the Robert Bollins o
| whom his host was evidently fully cog
nizant, but Of whom he was equally de.
! termined not to speak, was an enigma
not easily solvable.
The old gentleman remained i'm the
drawfng-roon, and Yorke went thought
fully down .he long tessellated marble
hall to the front door, where the
negress was waiting to show him out.
He glanced Inadvertently at her in
passing, and was astonished TO observe
that her wrinkled face was working
with an obvious effort to subdue some
strong emotion. and. in spite OF her. a
tear rolled down her dusky furrowed
cheek.
oh. suh!'' she burst out, but in a
subdued voice. .Ah, 'spect All knows
who yo is a-looking fo' All listened.
sub: Ah couldn't help II, an All yeard,''
Come out in the vestibule, aunty. as
If you were going to direct me some
where. and tell ME what you mean," he
said, in quick. low tones.
The woman followed him out, closing
the front door carefully behind her
'Ah can git in agin by de back do"
she remarked, breathlessly. Are yo'
suah, sub, dat it's a man what You Is
a-looking TO-? Are yo' suah 'tain't a
woman? ,Tain't Miss Roberta Hollins.
1T might be!' cried Yorke, electrified.
why? Who is she?'
Miss Roberta was Mr. Charles sis
tab. sub; but dey amt spoke fo' thirty
five years.
And where is Miss Roberta now?'
She's done been daid fo' fifteen yeahs
an mo-. She done run off to New York
an married Mistah George Donar son,
sub; dat's how come she an de family
dom speak no mo-. Mistah George, he's
daid. too. now; but Mistah Charles dom
nevah speak her name''
i See. Thank you for telling me-
aunty. You don't know If they had any
children"
Meme of dey own, but dey dom took
. li'f boy to raise. Dunno whar he
come rom. Dat was what max me sho
Dat You meant Miss Roberta, cos dey
'dopted boy. and All heard you tell
Mistah Charles bout lookin' To- a
'dopted chile
Where is he now-do you know.
aunty?"
s,ns. mo, as suhi Ill., amt yeard tell OBJ him
do you know of any one living here
now who knew Miss Roberta well-who
could tell me about her and her hus-
band. and about adopting the boy?"
"Weil. sub, de only one All knows
an don't see many folks
Who is Mis- Jane?"
She was Miss Roberta's bes' frien', |
sub. Dey wuz girls togtder. Shed |
ef anybody would. what young
BOY. suh-whar he am now
Miss Jane What? What is the |
est of her name, and where does she |
ive?"
Mis- Jane Henderson. sub: an she
side, in de red house wild de cup-o-la |
md de bird-house stuck on a pole by |
le magnolia tree In de front yard. Yo'
AN see 1t from the gate hyar. She was
ways great To- birds, Mis- Jane wuz."
You say she Is ill2''
"Des kinder poly. sub; des kinder
'oly. Eff yo' say yo' done come bout
Hiss Roberta, An guess shed see yo'.
uh. She wuz terri bic fon' OBJ her. Mis-
ane wuz. All s'pect yo' think mebbe
diss Roberta. an de boy an all; but
III done been in dis yeah family since
distah Charles an Mis- Roberta wuz
hillens an All lubes Mis- Roberta lax
ne own; an eff you wan to fin her
oy dat she raised. All felt lax All des
a. to help yo'."
That's all right, aunty; You did the
light thing. Mr.. Charles Hollins will
ever know you spoke of ii, / promise
ou. The red house with the cupola.
ou said? Good-by. aunty."
There was a soft crackle of paper as
e pressed something into her hand.
nd she bobbed a surprised. delighted
urtsy.
Then he turned and went down the l
rick path to the gate, highly elated at {
ne sudden diverse turn of fortunes l
heel. To be sure Miss Jane Hender- {
on might deny him an interview, or 8
he might know no more than the old I
srrant had as to the whereabouts of /
ne adopted son of her friend. But il {
as well worth finding out. c
DO you know where Miss Jane Hen S
erson nves?" he asked his waiting 7
ehu: supplementing. Red house with !
cupola?''
Sure" was the laconic reply Just
own the street here. She's sick with |
though. Don't believe
le'll see anybody
well. take me there. anyway"
orke said. as he climbed in. \
at the house designated, he
nd to ring twice before he was adj
itted by a stolid-looking German !
oman. During the minute or two
hich the short drive to the house had