The Millionaire Baby | Page 8

so anxious to take whistled and went thundering
by, but she never moved or noticed. Suddenly she reached out her hand.
"Let me see it, please," she entreated. "I was her nurse; let me take it in
my hand."
The man who held it passed it over. She examined it long and closely.
"Yes, it is hers," said she. But in another moment she had laid it down
with what I thought was a very peculiar look.

Instantly it was caught up and carried with a rush up the slope to where
Mrs. Ocumpaugh could be seen awaiting it with outstretched arms. But
I did not linger to mark her reception of it. Miss Graham had drawn me
to one side and was whispering in my ear:
"I must talk to you. I can not keep back another moment what I think or
what I feel. Some one is playing with Mrs. Ocumpaugh's fears. That
shoe is Gwendolen's, but it is not the mate of the one found on the bank
above. That was for the left foot and so is this one. Did you not
notice?"

II
"A FEARSOME MAN"
The effect of this statement upon me was greater than even she had
contemplated.
"You thought the child had been stolen for the reward she would
bring?" she continued. "She was not; she was taken out of pure hate,
and that is why I suffer so. What may they not do to her! In what hole
hide her! My darling, O my darling!"
She was going off into hysterics, but the look and touch I gave her
recalled her to herself.
"We need to be calm," I urged. "You, because you have something of
importance to impart, and I, because of the action I must take as soon
as the facts you have concealed become known to me. What gives you
such confidence in this belief, which I am sure is not shared by the
police, and who is the some one who, as you say, is playing upon Mrs.
Ocumpaugh's fears? A short time ago it was as the wretch you spoke of
him. Are not some one and the wretch one and the same person, and
can you not give him now a name?"
We had been moving all this time in the direction of the station and had
now reached the foot of the platform. Pausing, she cast a last look up

the bank. The trees were thick and hid from our view the Ocumpaugh
mansion, but in imagination she beheld the mother moaning over that
little shoe.
"I shall never return there," she muttered; "why do I hesitate so to
speak!" Then in a burst, as I watched her in growing excitement:
"She--Mrs. Ocumpaugh--begged me not to tell what she believed had
nothing to do with our Gwendolen's loss. But I can not keep silence.
This proof of a conspiracy against herself certainly relieves me from
any promise I may have made her. Mr. Trevitt, I am positive that I
know who carried off Gwendolen."
This was becoming interesting, intensely interesting to me. Glancing
about and noting that the group down at the water-edge had become
absorbed again in renewed efforts toward further discoveries, I
beckoned her to follow me into the station. It was but a step, but it gave
me time to think. What was I encouraging this young girl to do? To
reveal to me, who had no claim upon her but that of friendship, a secret
which had not been given to the police? True, it might not be worth
much, but it was also true that it might be worth a great deal. Did she
know how much? I wanted money--few wanted it more--but I felt that I
could not listen to her story till I had fairly settled this point. I therefore
hastened to interpose a remark:
"Miss Graham, you are good enough to offer to reveal some fact
hitherto concealed. Do you do this because you have no closer friend
than myself, or because you do not know what such knowledge may be
worth to the person you give it to--in money, I mean?"
"In money? I am not thinking of money," was her amazed reply; "I am
thinking of Gwendolen."
"I understand, but you should think of the practical results as well.
Have you not heard of the enormous reward offered by Mr.
Ocumpaugh?"
"No; I--"

"Five thousand dollars for information; and fifty thousand to the one
who will bring her back within the week unharmed. Mr. Ocumpaugh
cabled to that effect yesterday."
"It is a large sum," she faltered, and for a moment she hesitated. Then,
with a sweet and candid look which sank deep into my heart, she added
gravely: "I had rather not think of money