The Washington times., 1913-11-13

from his pocket and scribbled a few
nnes upon 1t. and this he now handel
70 tne woman. with a request that sh,
take II to Miss Jane Henderson.
She returned In a few moments, will
much OF the deliDeration gone from
| her manner. and a look of curious in.
.erest lighting her impassive coun.
"Mees Henderson she say viii YOU
please COON dis way, sir.'' And she leo
| him up the broad, carpeted stairway tC
a room at the front of the house.
comfortable, stout. placid-facef
woman of sixty or thereabouts, with
smooth, iron-gray hair and keen. steady
black eyes, was sitting bolstered VI
on couch by the window. An opened
book lay across her knees, and big
| white cat was curled up on the window
| ledge beside her.
somehow, whether it was her clear
healthy. sun-tanned face, her robust ap-
! pearance, or certain coolly self-reli-
ant air which encompassed her-Yorke
would have found It hard to define
which-strength seemed to emanate
! from her. rather than weakness; health
! and energy and vigor, rather than .ener-
walton and invalidism. Tired as he was,
forke felt curious, bracing sensa ton
as he entered her presence.
She was balancing his card In one of
her large, firm hands, and eyeing him
! steadily as he approached.
IniS lS an unusual message you nave
sent me, Mr.-YarreI," she said, glanc-
ing again at the name he had penned.
You mention a friend long dead
Il have been trying for some time to
find trace of Mrs. Donaldson and her
hcsband-the Mrs. George Donaldson
Roberta HolIins-butt until today / have
been unsuccessful. Mr.. Charles Hollins
could not be induced to speak of her"
Il know" she smiled rather grimly.
Won't you sit down, Mr.. Yarrell? Mrs.
Donaldson had a quarrel of many years
standing with her family
over her marriage-yes. YOrke re-
piled, seating himself where he could
watch the light play on her strong. mo-
bile features. II learned from other
and l ventured to intrnde upon You,
even in your illness. as the matter upon
which 1 am seeking information Is 4
very pressing one"
This illness Is nothinG-a mere twinge
of rheumatism-but it's annoying. am
ard 1t irritates me TO be commiserated
with. so deny myself to most people.
But your message interested me. Why
did you wish to see me?'
Il am connected with the law" said
Yorke grayely. Il am trying to trace
aldson.'
Miss Henderson pulled herself up on
her pillows with an involuntary grim
ace OF pain at the movement and eyed
him with shrewd surprise.
Well" she said at last. That is
curious. / always thought his people,
they were, would turn up some
day: day What " do you want to know, Mr..
.'The circumstances under which he |!
was brought up why the Donaldsons
came to adopt him, and If you know |
anything of him since their death Any
thing you can tell me concerning him,
in fact"
You do want to know a good deal, :
don't you?" she said od-humoredly.
III tell you what I can. As i suppose.
you know, Roberta Hollins ran away
and married George Donaldson all Of
thirty-five years ago. George was a de- |
cent sort of man, but weakling-no I
head for business.
THE Hollines disliked him, and never
forgave her, and the old people disin-
nerited her. 1t was not only on account
II her marriage, though. I'll be frank
hey learned about the adoption of the 4
boy which made them all SO bitter.
II think In time they would have for
given her for marrying against their
wishes, but for that, l always thought.
Georges shiftless, unreliable
ways, and their comparative poverty.
hat it was a blessing they had no chill
lren. but they thought otherwise, and
Roberta grieved continually over 1t.
About six or seven years after they
we're married they went away on q
rip and came home with this little boy,
Veil. He was about five or six years
Id, and the strangest child I ever
aw, Mr. Yarrell, My nephew. Stewart,
sas about his age, and they used TO
lay together, when Neil could be in
uced to play. Usually he was quiet
nd self-contained and moody; not
ulky. but he liked to be by himself.
or weeks he would be as well-behaved
S any little boy in the neighborhood.
hen, without any warning, he'd break
ut in some perfectly devilish mischief. I,
o ingenius that it seemed as If he
lust have been planning it all the time (,
e was quiet.
George was easy-going with him. but :
used to worry Roberta terribly. She'd :
iught him to he very polite and we'll ,
but he didn't seem to have :
ny affection in his nature-at least, he :
ever exhibited any to her, or anyone +
Sc, that / could see. They gave him 2
good sound education, and will say i
lat he was bright in his studies, almost :
bright. The queer. mis-
lievous pranks stopped as he grew .
der but he became more reserved and A
because for some II
,ason he wasn't popular with the other II
oys He wasn't a lovable sort of
80 ~~..>.- III