The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-10-16
Successful
Clew
Bv SARAH BAXTER

An ocean steamer was gong 10 pleSee
on the eastern coast of CANADA. ohe
had struck during a storm ana 100 idi
ont for n line 10 be shot TO her by the
| mon of the life saving station. Anu
| now that the storm was aDatlnS anu
there was possibility of boat reach-
ing her it was too late. Persons were
struggling in the water, but rev were
| reaching the shore. The life savers sue
ceeded. after a number of futile at
tempts. in launching boat ana max
| ing trip toward the wreck ana at
last brought back several PERSONS
among whom was a little boy ABOUT
five years old, who had been secured
to an improvised raft.
The child's identity was never dis
covered. He was adopted by family
of country people living on the coast,
and when eighteen years old shipped
on a steamer as deckhand. But he had
some education. and 1t was not long
before he was made subordinate ON
Ger. The steamer on which he was
wrecked was called the Alexander
Hamilton, and the boy took this for
his name. He knew nothing OF the
great statesman of that name, there
fore his act was not immodest
1t was evident from young Hamil,
toms personality that he was child of
aristOcratic lineage. Those who knew
how he had been picked up from the
wreck wondered why those connected
with him by blood had not found him.
Before going to sea he had been adj
vised to hunt up his origin, but more
than a dozen years had elapsed since
he had been brought ashore, and he
knew not where to begin.
The young mans idea Of going to
sea was that lie hoped for an oppor-
tunity to visit points of interest In
different countries. When he drew his
pay he would invariably use 1t for this
purpose. During voyage his ship re-
NAMED some time at Tangier. opposite
Gibraltar, unloading and taking IN
Arab goods. Hamilton obtained leave
to visit Seville in Spain. Having ar
tistic tastes, he visited gallery con-
tanning some pictures, works Of the
old masters. Stopping before Ma
donna and child by Murillo, he stood
looking at it, feeling growing up
within him that he had seen it before.
Presently he felt assured that he had
not only seen It, but that it had been
very near to him. The face of the
Madonna was associated in his mind
with some loved memory.
1T may be" he said to himself, that
the picture is key to my childhood"
If this were so 1t might be possible
for him to find the lock.
An object had come to the young
man. The circumstances attending his
having been taken by shipwreck from
his natural surroundings had cast a
gloom over him. Now he frightened
up and resolved that he would follow
the clew on detective principles and
never give up the search so long as
there was ray of hope. Sitting on
bench before the picture, he gave him
self up to mental investigation. This
was the result: Either his parents had
brought him to Seville, where he had
seen the picture, or he had somewhere
seen a copy Of 1t.
He went to every hotel in the CITY.
got permission to look at the records
previous to the time Of the shipwreck
and asked every landlord whether he
remembered hearing of any one who
had been at his house being lost on
the steamer from which he had been
saved. But this Investigation led TO
no result.
lie next turned his attention to the
matter of any copy that might have
been made Of the picture. After much
he found that but one COPY
had ever been made and that was for
bishop Of the Roman Catholic church
Hamilton discovered who the bisbon
was and went to the episcopal palace,
The bishop was dead, but priest told
the searcher that the copy was intend.
ed for rich Englishman. who as n
price Tor it gave large sum to the
church.
Hamllton's next move was to learn
the name of the Englishman. The
priest examined papers back for more
Ihan twenty years and found letters
written eighteen years before from tho
man for whom the copy had been
made, one letter giving directions "a
70 where 1t was to be sent. The mama
was John n. Boyington. - Harley
street, London.
Hamilton had money enough TO taka
MIN to London. but no more. He 40
,ided to make the journey, and If ba
discovered no relative he would shin
'n some vessel bound for America On
reaching London he found that Iohn
boyington had been an eminent srr
scum put was now an old man and ra.
tired. The sailor went to his reSIdanos
was ushered into the drawing room
anu tnere on the wall hung the oonv
oI the Murillo Madonna and Ch,ld ;.
when DR.. Boyington came down :.
see MIN and Hamilton told his storr
the old man sat silent for time g.
said: e' tneh