Part 14 (1/2)
”Yes.”
”The granddaughter if living would now be forty-five years of age.”
”Yes, but still a comparatively young woman.”
”She may be a humble woman with a family.”
”Yes, but if I had a photograph I'd soon find her if living. It is now my duty to find this granddaughter. She was once a Miss Canfield; my 'shadow' is diverted to a solution of the whereabouts of the living. The mystery of the dead is solved.”
”Yes, but here again you start without a clue.”
”Not exactly; I know the name of the one I seek; and now, sir, you will not see me again until late to-morrow night, and by that time I may have something to impart.”
”One more question, Mr. Wonderful Man: Where did Jacob Canfield get this fortune?”
”That is a mystery; the letter no doubt would have made that plain. One fact we can a.s.sume: he came by it honestly, for his record is that of an honest man, and again, all the drafts were paid without question. He told you to sell them; he did not attempt to hide his owners.h.i.+p of them.
Yes, the money was his honestly to bestow, or he may have held it in trust for some one else. It may be that the letter would have revealed the latter fact, and it is here we may be at fault at the last. It may not have been his granddaughter, but some other person's child for whom he held the money. There is a great deal of mystery surrounding the case yet, but I doubt not that in time we will solve it. I will have something important to relate, no doubt, when I see you to-morrow night or the night following.”
”No doubt, for you have come back with marvels to relate every time.”
On the morning following his interview with Mr. Townsend, the detective again appeared at the tavern where he had met old Berwick, and he again met the voluble old gentleman. Berwick recognized our hero and said:
”h.e.l.lo, you here again?”
”Yes, I am here again.”
”I suppose you have some more questions to ask concerning Jake Canfield.”
”Mr. Berwick, can I trust you?”
”You can as sure as my name is Berwick.”
”You asked me if I had any special interest in Jake Canfield.”
”I did, and you tried to throw me off, but you did not. I knew all the time that you did have an interest in him.”
”Well, I have, in his history and also in his granddaughter, if she is alive.”
”Well, now, see here; after you went away I got to thinking. I made up my mind there was something up in this case, and I remembered that I had a photograph of the little girl--not a photo, but one of those old-fas.h.i.+oned pictures they used to take before photos were invented.”
”And have you that picture now?”
”I have, as sure as guns.”
”Where?”
”Up at my house; I was looking at it this very day.”
”Can I see it?”