human
You pardon the liberty I have taken, then? he said.
gpt
I was sure you would.
human
What is your business with me, sir?
gpt
It is to offer a tribute to your art and beauty, replied Mr. Merry, with a smirk.
human
But --for the first time seeing the deputy and Al--
gpt
Don't you know me, Mr. Merry?
human
Why, bless my soul! ejaculated the old man, adjusting his glasses,
gpt
Yes, sir; it's me.
human
What are you doing here in Miss March's apartment?
gpt
Attending to business, sir.
human
What business?
gpt
Your business, Mr. Merry.
human
I didn't send you here.
gpt
You sent me to find the writer of that infamous advertisement in the _Bugle_, didn't you, sir?
human
Yes.
gpt
Well, I have found him.
human
Where is he? Who is he?
gpt
There he stands.
human
That boy?
gpt
Yes, sir.
human
You must be mistaken.
gpt
I am not. I went to the office of the _Bugle_ and asked who wrote the advertisement. They told me it was the advance agent of the company, a young man named Allston. I tracked him to this place, and was about to drag him forth when you arrived.
human
You talk like a fool, Bullfinch,
gpt
Sir, I----
human
That will do. If this is the person who is responsible for that advertisement take him away.
gpt
Yes, sir.
human
Wait a moment, Mr. Merry.
gpt
Certainly, my dear young lady. What is it?
human
This gentleman, Mr. Allen Allston, never saw or heard of you before he came to Rockton. It was not in a spirit of malice that he wrote that advertisement. Don't you see, Mr. Merry, that by having him arrested you will only subject yourself to ridicule? You acknowledge yourself to be a 'queer old man.' Why should you do that?
gpt
Ahem! That aspect of the case had not occurred to me, he said.
human
You assure me, Miss March, that the young man did not intend to hold me up to ridicule?
gpt
I am absolutely certain, interrupted the deputy,
human
Shut up, Bullfinch!
gpt
Mr. Merry, interrupted Al,
human
I give you my word of honor that I should not have inserted that advertisement if I had for one moment supposed it would injure the feelings of anyone. It was only a joke on the public.
gpt
A joke at my expense, young man!
human
I have given you my word of honor, sir, that I did not intend to hurt you or anyone else by that ad.
gpt
Your word of honor! sneered Mr. Merry.
human
What is your word of honor good for? Who are you?
gpt
You have heard my name from Miss March. I am Allen Allston.
human
I did not catch the name before, he said.
gpt
Surely you are not Allen Allston from Boomville?
human
I am.
gpt
The noble young fellow who saved the life of my grandchild?
human
Is Mayor Anderson's little girl your granddaughter, sir?
gpt
Of course she is. My boy, I beg your pardon.
human
The youth who performed such a heroic act could not be guilty of such a crime as that of which you are accused. Bullfinch --turning fiercely upon the deputy--
gpt
Sir----
human
What put it into your head that he could have had any malicious intent in writing that advertisement?
gpt
I only acted upon your instructions, sir,
human
Nonsense! I thought you had a little common sense. Leave the room, sir. Your presence is an insult to me and to my friends.
gpt
But the arrest, sir----
human
There will be no arrest to-day; I withdraw the complaint.
gpt
But the warrant----
human
Tear it up--do anything you like with it, only don't worry me any further with your nonsensical remarks. Go, sir!
gpt
I am extremely pained, he began,
human
Will you please state your business, sir?
gpt
I come, as I remarked before, to pay a tribute to genius and beauty.
human
Well?
gpt
Will you accept these flowers? stammered the old man.
human
They are a tribute to----
gpt
Thanks, interrupted the actress.
human
You may leave them on the table.
gpt
You are very kind. And now----
human
And now you must excuse me; I have business of importance with Mr. Allston.
gpt
Oh, certainly! May I call again?
human
I am too much occupied to receive callers. Good-morning.
gpt
I am sorry to say, remarked Miss March,
human
And I was about to do so.
gpt
Exactly. Go on.
human
Why do you want to hear the story, Miss March?
gpt
Because--because----
human
Well?
gpt
Because I believe that I may be your sister!
human
You surely do not think, the girl said, earnestly,
gpt
No, no, Al assured her,
human
No logical ground, perhaps, the actress replied;
gpt
And I, too, said Al, thoughtfully,
human
Tell me all you know about her, entreated the girl;
gpt
--with sudden change of manner--
human
I will tell you my story first, if you will listen to it.
gpt
Go on, please, Miss March.
human
My first recollections are of a miserable home on the upper floor of a tenement house in New York. I lived with a hard-featured woman who called herself my aunt. Her name was Ann Thompson. Did you ever hear of her?
gpt
Never!
human
Aunt Ann, as I used to call her, went on the actress,
gpt
I can imagine it all, said Al, sympathetically.
human
Go on, please, and spare yourself unnecessary pain.
gpt
How kind you are! the young girl said, gratefully.
human
I will, then, omit many details which I am sure would be as painful for you to hear as for me to relate. When under the influence of alcohol Aunt Ann was sometimes very cruel to me. She would beat and otherwise ill-treat me; and to-day I bear scars inflicted by her. But I bore all as patiently as I could, and for what reason, do you suppose?
gpt
I should think you would have left her,
human
I should have done so but for one thing.
gpt
And that was?
human
Sometimes while intoxicated she would hint to me that in reality we were not flesh and blood, that I was in no way akin to her, that there was a secret in my life that she could reveal if she would, a secret the publication of which would be greatly to my advantage. But she never became so intoxicated that she told me the whole truth; I could only guess it. Sometimes during her sober intervals I would tax her with what she had said; but she would always reply by telling me that I must pay no attention to anything she said when she was drunk--that she was at such times out of her mind, and did not know what she was saying. Once, when I persisted, she became greatly enraged, and gave me such a beating that I was taken to a hospital and she was arrested and sentenced to a term of imprisonment.
gpt
Postpone telling the rest of it until another time,
human
No, said the actress,
gpt
I must go on. I was discharged from the hospital on the day on which Aunt Ann was released from jail, and the old life was renewed.
human
You went back to live with the woman?
gpt
Yes. I had no other home. Besides, I still hoped that I might be able to learn from her the secret of my birth--for that there was a secret I was now more firmly convinced than ever. At the time of which I have just been telling you, I was about twelve years of age. Three years later Aunt Ann, while under the influence of liquor, met with an accident which terminated her miserable life in two days. When she was told that she was really dying, she sent for a priest and confessed to him. When the clergyman was gone she summoned me to her bedside, and told me that at the suggestion of the good father she was about to tell me at last the secret that I had been striving so long to learn.
human
And she said----
gpt
She began by telling me that she was not my aunt, that we were in no way related. Years before she had been my nurse. My poor mother had in some trivial way offended her, and under the influence of her anger--and, I suppose, of alcohol--she determined to revenge herself by kidnaping me. She carried this resolution into effect, and her guilt was never proven, although it was suspected. 'My name is not Ann Thompson,' she said to me, 'but you shall know now what it really is, and who your parents are. Your father is dead, but your mother still lives. For years she has mourned you unceasingly.' The woman then bade me unlock and open a certain drawer in her bureau. I did so, and took from it at her direction a small package. 'That bundle,' she said, 'contains proof of your identity. Take it to your mother and show her what is in it. Tell her what I have said, give her my real name, and she will acknowledge you as her 'daughter.' 'What is your name?' I cried, breathlessly--'what is mine?' The woman opened her lips to reply, but not a sound escaped them. The next moment she fell back upon her pillow. I bent over her, crying in an agony of suspense: 'Speak, speak!' But she could not, she was dead!
human
What did the package contain?
gpt
Only a few articles of infant's clothing and two pieces of jewelry. Some time they may be of assistance to me in finding my parents, but thus far they have proved of no value as a clew. Well, after Aunt Ann's death I was adopted by a family in moderate circumstances. They had no interest in my personal affairs, all they wanted of me was my services as housemaid, and I served in that capacity for two years. Then came an opportunity to adopt a stage career, and I eagerly seized it, against the advice of all who were in any way interested. I must say that, so far, I have had no reason to regret my decision in the matter. I find that the stories of the temptations of stage life that I had heard were gross exaggerations, and that a woman can be as good and pure on the stage as off it. And now, my friend, you have heard my story; can you help me find my mother? Do you think it possible that I am the sister for whom you have been searching?
human
That question can very soon be decided. Have you the package of infant's clothing that you spoke of?
gpt
Yes; I always have it with me wherever I go.
human
May I see it?
gpt
I am very anxious to show it to you.