Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1935-06-06
CHAPTER XI-Continued

her forehead and cheeks; In a low.
monotonous tone he commanded her to
answer all his questions. Then sud-
denly:
Have you thought of your daugh-
ter, Penelope, of later"
Grlmace of distress fitted across the
beautiful face. mo distress or bad
luck will attend the thinking while you
are with me, understand? | command
you to think about her-to remeDlber
her and to answer truthfully all my
questions regarding her."
"Yes, Doctor"
"Why did you and Mr. Gatlln adopt
herY'
"Ile wanted a baby and | couldn't
give him one"
Gould you, II you had cared TOT"
"Yes. Doctor" Her tone was very
peevlsh.
"How old vas she when you adopted
herr
"About q month";"
"Where did you find her?"
an the Infants Shelter In San Fran
CISCO"
"Dld you know who her parents
were before you had decided to adopt
herr"
"Yes, Doctor. A Captain and Mrs.
Robert E. ELLIOTT"
"Why did the Elliots abandon their
baby?"
1.-THE captain was killed by the Moros
and his wife died In this city In child
birth"
do you remember what branch Of
the service the captain was I'M"
He was a captain of cavalry"
"When you and Nr. Gatlin adopted
Penelope. did you have any written
record OF her parentage"
"We had a letter from the matron
at the Infants Shelter. And we had Il
letter from the doctor who attended
Mrs. Elliot at st. D%unstan's hospital,
the Elllors."
"Why did you get the letters from
the old neighbors?"
Theodore was concerned about The
baby's ancestry"
"And was 1t the best?"
81 do not know. 1t satisfied MIR.
Gatlin.''
what has become of all the records
pertaining to Penelope?"
II burned them"
"Why?"
'Ta keep Penelope from getting
them"
'Then she wanted them, did she
not?'
''Yes, Doctor. She demanded them"
when was thls?"
son her eighteenth birthday"
slow did IT happen that she waited
until her eighteenth birthday before
demanding them?"
up until then she thought she was
our own flesh and blood"
"Ahl Why did you burn these rec
ords rather than give them to Pene-
lopez
Il hate her."
WHEN ybu uStu " give lueIU 10
Der. what happened?'
"She cried and laughed and screamed
and attacked me-. She said she hated
me. Finally she tainted, and ! had the
her room"
ibid you give Penelope any informa.
ton at all, at any time, regarding her
parentage?'
There was a slight hesitation. Il
lied to her. wanted to hurt her be.
cause she wouldn't recognize my moral
right 10 half of Theodore's estate. 81
l told her she had negro blood In her
veins"
what made you invent such q hor-
rible tale?"
penelope Is a decided brunette. |
thought even II she did not believe me,
my statement would create In her mind
q doubt and a fear that would drive
her crazy"
what happened after that. Mrs
Merton?"
an the morning she was gone"
'H0w did she gOT"
"She made a rope Of sheets and
blankets"
"IIave you seen her SINGER
"No."
"Is she dead?"
II do not know. hope So"
Stephen turned to Dan. ANY ques
tions?"
Mcnamara shook his head owlishly
81 can revive most of the record-per
haps all Of It. The captains record "
In the army files; when he married, q
notice OF II appeared In the Army and
Navy Journal; with that and what !
can get ont OF the officers who sol
diered with the captain, I'll get a
pretty complete picture"
Stephen resumed his cross eAamIna-
ton.
ibid you ever beat Penelopei Did
you ever pinch her and slap her and
lock her up7"
~