New Britain herald., 1927-01-06

But who is he, Mike" interrupted ! the nurse. That is" she corrected herself, "who are his people? That's what we want to know. Where is he ! from? Oh, don't know whatever made me think of bringing you here with me, but thank the Lord l did" "Where's he from?" Mike repeated vaguely, his glance shifting back to his old buddy who still stood t-.cre { looking at them but with eyes that showed nothing but that horrible, Vacuous stare, Ines from some place, some place out in the sticks. Let's see now, what's the name of the place he came from-Indiana Yes. that's it, that's it-Indiana."
 He kept looking at Jim Elwell, fascinated, unbelieving.
 Nellie Downing, with a trace of impatience edging her voice, asked, But what place in Indiana, Mike? ? Indiana" she said sharply, lis a big state and there's probably hundred or more Elwell families living there. Don't you know anything about his people-what town or city they live in 2"
 "Yes," put in tho superintendent who had been an amazed witness 10 all this, "try to think of it. If we can locate his parents it might help to-"
 q don't think I ever heard him mention the name Of the town" said Mike Hcnnegan, strolling his chin thoughtfully, except that it was q small burg of four or five thousand, I think.
 But" he went on quickly. his face brightening, T remember now he called his old man Prof and his mother Mollie-funny thing, to call your mother by her first name and your father by nickname-an' he used 10 tell me about a coupla kid pals of his-girls they were-twins his folks adopted when they were born, for their mother had died"
 Jim Elwell, said Mike, had called
 
 had a picture of them taken with his rHe-other and the old man and him. self. They were both mighty pretty girls with a lot of hair. They were eighteen, he said, and they didn't look exactly alike, even if they were twins. And his mother was nice lookin'. too, and so was his old IT an. But I don't think he ever said wi ere they lived-that is, the name of the town.
 That's all I know" he said, and "Oh, he'll" he burst out, q cant be- lieve I'm standin' here in iron. of Jim Elwell, a-talllin' about him like this an him standin' there takin' it all in an not knowin' a thing I'm sayin'. I cant believe it. It ain't right. somehow"
 Nellie Downing turned to the su- perintendent. 'Is there some way in which we could learn where he's from ?"
 That ought not to be difficult, he assured her. His name is recorded in Washington and the records will show his place of residence and the name Of his parents. It'll take time. of course, to look them up. but they can be obtained. I'll dictate a letter to the war office at once"
 ''No," said Nellie Downing with sudden decision. "The wheels in the war office move too slow. I'll go to Washington myself and I'll leave to- night on the midnight train. That will get me there in the morning. l met the president once, just before I went to France, and I know he'll help me to get this matter straight encd out. We won't waste time writ ing letters"
 The superintendent smiled at her impetuous words. Getting to the president on matter like this wasn't easy, even for people who had met him.
 Miss Downing turned and studied for a fleeting moment the freckled face of the man she had staked to twenty dollars that morning.
 'Mike,' she said, speaking slovly, thoughtfully, you have earned your keep today and that's more than you've done for some time, I'm afraid. You need job. You need it for no better reason than to keep you out of mischief. How would .'ou like to remain here and look after your friend Jim until return from Washington Perhaps if you show yourself useful enough, MT. Burton here might give you regular job around the hospita."