Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-08-29
Go On With the Story

Yes, you told me So, Loutrelle
replied gently.
You don't mean fathers alive
and" Ethel began.
NO" Loutrelle denied quickly.
mo, no; you mustn't think of that"
there?" he asked.
You mean the little town?
What's that to do with my father?"
IF 1 knew, I'd tell o right out"
he assured. But as it is. the only
way 1 see is to explain how that
letter-and what followed-came to
me; and hat involves a good deal
of talking about"
what"
Myself" he said simply.
She glanced up at him quickly.
II don't know where my own
people live. or what they were,
Loutrelle continued. But Boyne is
much like this" he glanced about at
the trees. second growth woods,
only a bit older: and Indians like
Asa Redbird."
"You mean"
IT lived with them; yea, Miss
Carew. Until / was seven years old.
I thought 1 was an Indian myself.
Some Chippewas a good man,
Azen Mabo and his wife-had me-"
He said his quite without bitter
ness, simply as a statement of a
fact; but Ethel saw his lips press
tightly together, involuntarily: his
eyes gazed vacantly far away, and
\ something within Ethels breast
seemed to tug and draw taut.
"Azen told me he got me from
another Indiana mar named Noah
10. who had had a boat II moved
around a good deal" Loutreile went
Oh. HE didn't find out much about
me: for Noah 10 was sick when he
sent for Azen and died about the
time Azen got there. Azen took,
with me. Noah JOS rife and boat
and gear and some other things;
one of them was a ring which Noah
10 said went with me. Azen showed
it to me then, Miss Carew; and
years later, he gave it to me. Would
you like to see it?"
please" Ethel said. that strange
tug pulling at her harder. What
he was saying to her was no Oft
repeated or cheaply told tale, h
was sure.
1t was an old ring. not marked
with a date, but Of a fashion which
suggested a century, or two GEN.
turtles, gone.
What did that mean to you?"
she asked, holding it a moment
longer before giving it back.
He considered it for a moment,
holding it in the palm of his bare
hand; they were proceeding slowly
side by side. Being a woman's
ring he said, Il supposed it was
my mother's-whoever she was and
however she happened 10 give it,
and me, to Noah 10. So l Just kept
the ring and tried not to think too
much about her. Then the war
came along; and / went"
"In 1912" :
II got in our own army then; but
] had the luck to &c just after the
Marine, with the Canadians. l spent
the winter of 1915-1916 in Lon
\ don. 1 was just a kid, tempo
rarily on clutches, with a slight
wound.
"AlI England, Miss Carew - was
full Of people trying to get in touch
with fellows who'd been reported
killed, trying to reach their dead.
You see Raymond had recently
been killed"
"You mean
"Sir Oliver Lodges son: yes, Miss
Carew. His father and mother and
friends were receiving messages
which they published ard which
they were sure must be from him;
and thousands Of other people were
getting communications which they
believed must be from their men
who'd been killed"
"Oh." Ethel murmured again. She
did not hear what he said during
the next moments.
They were still following mechani-
cally and without effort, the wide
course of the old st. Florentin road.
e. talked a lot about it," Lou
trelle was saying when next n was
conscious of hearing.
Somebody in thai room seemed to
know Just about everything con-
corning me. And l found out that
NV father was dead. but my mother
wa living. The medium knew about
NV ring and Aver Mabo and Noah
Jo: about my friends in Boyne high
school-people I'd never mentioned
to any one"
How did she know"
That's what gave me a jump. OF
course, she might have learned
those things, if she'd taken the
trouble, or if Hus had sent a staff
/. of detectives over here. Everything
! could have been learned naturally"
"Thenswhy didn't you think 1t
wasp"
II haven't said it was learned I'M
naturally. but it vas such a mixed
lot of facts, Miss Carew. I'm nor
NAL, Miss Carew; 1 don't prefer
weird explanations. But Ladmit 1
walked the streets of London that
night"
$50 you believed"
Nothing yet. The next day l had
to go back to France. | was at the
front; but Hus had stayed in Lon
don and kept trying to find out
more for me, and on November
seventh wrote me the letter l Show
ed YOU"
"About my father"
Eyes. Then 1 got a special dis
charge. 1 wired Hus in London that
| was coming. But he wired back
not to come to England but to get
passage to America: said he was
writing in explanation. This letter
came two days later"
He halted again and put his hand
into his coat pocket, drawing out an
envelope similar to the other and
with English stamp and postmark.
Ethel recognized the same vigorous
handwriting.
: Dear Barney:
If you've never taken anything on
! trust before, take this from me, old
top. Beat it for home-partieulariy
to the town of st. Florentin in
Northern Michigan. Do you know