The Washington times., 1936-02-18

He'd already maze TWO 1Or'
tunes--one In gold on the Yukon
and another in q dance hall and
gambling place he had In Dawson.
Then he sold out and moved to
Nome when the rush came there,
and he picked up another fortune.
mimi didn't work long as an
entertainer. They moved around a
lot after the rush was over, and
made q couple Of trips to Seattle
before they finally closed up and
came back here to the States. Yes,
he made q lot Of money, Mrs. Lat
ham,"
"I can see him as o miner-he
always liked mines and he always
had some prospecting going on
somewhere. But I can't think Of
Dad running IA ga IN bling
place"
"Well, Alaska was q pretty
rough place ct one time"
II know. But Dad was so differ.
emit. SO quiet. And Mirni was 50
gentle and sweet.
"Of course, I do know that she
sang balladS-Dad told me about
that once-and ] know It was true,
but ] can't see how Q young girl
like that ever happened to 60 to
q place like Nome.
''I told you that Aunt Nettie
would never talk about 1t. And
heaven knows their family-the
GeddeS-were respectable enough!
I wasn't much more than q baby
when Dad took me back there
after Mimi died, you know-but
san Still remember the stiff, early
Victorian house and the afternoon
coffee parties and era n dina
GeddeS In black silk"
"But they're all dead, Mrs. La
than. The only one who could
throw any light on it is this al
legged aunt Of yours, Nettie GeddeS
Cooper, and depend on 1t, she
won'tl OF course, II I can get a
little more positive information
such as she won't care to have
aired in q courtroom"
what do you mean?" she
asked, uneaSily.
'Well old family history -
SIlch-aS-"
He hesitated. Latham's wife
was inclined to be difficult at
times. And he was having diff
cultieS enough without adding to
them.
'Such as what?"
'Well-why Mimi left home and
went to Alaska, for one thing. You
viii admit that doesn't sound very
well and If as think there was q
good reason for it, Nettie Cooper,
with her social aspirations isn't
going to like that very much!"
81 won't have my mother drag
ged into it.! I don't care what
she did. I don't even want. to
hear about it. And il you're going
to try to win the case that way
you can stop right now, because
1-Oh. excuse n1e-that'S the
doorbell-"
just her luck. A collector. But
one Of the pleaSanter ones.
"How about a little check for
Gorman's Wood and Coal Com
pany?"
"ohl Well, not today, but !
think next week."
"Monday?"
'Yes-1l try to have it on Mon
day"
"AIL right. Monday it is.
About how much were you think.
ing Of paying?"
we'll don't know exactly.
might"
'The fun payment? Let me see
-yes-$1S.65. That's the amount,
Mrs. Latham"
"Well-I couldn't promise it all.
But I'll try. Come back Mon
day"
VERY well. GOOD day."
That was the worst of a front
door that opened right into the
living room. No privacy. Though
when they built the house they
had not counted on collectors.
She closed the door, returned to
Pierce with an apologetic little
smile.
"Now you leave everything to
me, and don't worry" he said
brightly. He rose to go.
"But I mean that about my
motherI"
"she wasn't your mother. That
much Is clear. I still hope to
. prove that Adolphus Cooper was
your: father, but We know def.
nitely that Mimi 0eddeS Cooper