"WHO WAS JED?"
Mrs. Avery went up stairs to her own room, but reappeared in five
minutes. She had in her hand an old-fashioned gold locket.
"This," she said, "was attached to the neck of the boy when he came into
our hands."
"Have you opened it?" asked the detective eagerly. "Is there a picture
inside?"
"There are two miniatures--one on each side."
She opened the locket, and it proved to be as she said.
One of these was a miniature of a young and handsome man, apparently
thirty years of age, the other of a young lady with a very sweet and
attractive face, probably five years younger.
"These must represent the parents of the boy Jed," said the detective.
"So we concluded--Mr. Avery and myself."
"Does the lady bear any resemblance to the girl who brought the child to
you?"
"Not the slightest. The girl was common in appearance. She probably
filled the position of a servant or nursemaid."
"Did it occur to you that she might be in any way related to the child?"
"Not for a moment. He was evidently the child of parents wealthy or well
to do."
"Did you form any conjectures relative to her or her object in bringing
you the child?"
"No. There was nothing to serve as a clew. It was all guesswork on our
part. Still the thought did occur to us that the child had been stolen
or abducted from his people for some reason unknown to us."
The detective hesitated a moment, and then, having apparently made up
his mind to confide in the worthy couple, said: "Your guess was very
near the truth. The child, I have every reason to believe, was stolen
from its mother--the father was dead--through the machinations of an
uncle who wanted the boy's title and estate."
"Title!" exclaimed Mrs. Avery, in great surprise.
"Yes. This boy I believe to be the only son of the late Sir Charles
Fenwick, of Fenwick Hall, Gloucestershire, England."
"Well, well!" ejaculated Mrs. Avery. "Then if the boy had his rights
would he be Sir Jed Gilman?"
"No," answered the detective smiling. "He has no more claim to the name
Jed Gilman than I have."
"What is his real name?"
"Robert Fenwick, as I have every reason to believe."
"Why has there been no search for him till now?"
"There has been a search covering all the intervening years; but the
mother, who is still living, had no information to guide her, and the
search has been a groping in the dark."
"And did the wicked uncle get the title and estate?" asked Mrs. Avery.
"Yes. He is enjoying both now."
"Is it a large estate?"
"It would not be considered large in England. Probably it amounts to
five thousand pounds annual rental."
"Five thousand pounds!" said Mrs. Avery.
"Yes, or in our money about twenty-five thousand dollars."
"And this large estate ought to belong to poor Jed?"
"I submit that, if so, he will not need to be called poor Jed."
"And you say that the mother is living?"
"She is living, and in New York. She is comfortably established at the
Windsor Hotel on Fifth Avenue. It is by her that I am employed. This is
my card."
He drew out a small card bearing the name
JAMES PEAKE.
"Yes. I am an American," he said in reply to a question by Mrs. Avery.
"I am a New York detective, and was detailed for this work by Inspector
Byrnes."
"What sort of a person is Jed's mother?" asked Mrs. Avery.
"Still a beautiful woman, though she cannot be far from forty years of
age."
"Does she look like the picture in the locket?"
"There is considerable resemblance--of course, making allowance for the
difference in the ages of the two. This locket, Mrs. Avery, is most
important, and will, I think, establish the identity of Jed Gilman with
the stolen heir of the Fenwick estate. Will you permit me to take it and
show it to Lady Fenwick?"
"Has she a title, too?"
"Certainly. She was the wife of Sir Charles Fenwick."
"And what is the name of the wicked uncle?"
"Guy Fenwick. He is known as Sir Guy Fenwick, but probably, almost
positively, has no rightful claim to the title."
"Does he know that you are looking for his nephew?"
"I presume he has taken measures to keep acquainted with all the
movements of Lady Fenwick."
"I wonder how the girl came to give the boy the name of Jed Gilman?"
"I think I can explain this. The name of this treacherous nursemaid was
Jane Gilman. She selected a name as near to her own as possible. You say
you have neither seen nor heard anything of this girl since Jed was left
in your hands?"
"We have heard nothing whatever."
At this moment there was a ring at the door-bell--a sharp, quick,
impatient ring.
Mrs. Avery answered it.
She came back, her face showing excitement.
"It is a woman of middle age," she said, "and she, too, has come to make
inquiries about Jed Gilman."
The detective also looked excited.
"Do you think," he asked, "it can be Jane Gilman herself come back after
all these years?"
"That's it!" said Mrs. Avery, her face lighting up. "I wondered where I
had seen her face before. Now, though she is so much older, I recognize
in this middle-aged woman the girl who brought Jed to the door fourteen
years ago."
"Bring her in here, hear what she has to say, and place me somewhere, so
that, myself unseen, I can hear what she says."
This was what the detective said in a quick, decided tone.
"Very well, sir, go in there. It is a small bedroom. You can keep the
door ajar."
The detective lost no time in concealing himself.
The woman came in. She was a stout, florid-complexioned woman, rather
showily dressed, with the look of an Englishwoman of the middle class.
Before we proceed to record the interview that took place between Mr.
and Mrs. Avery and herself we must go back again to the poorhouse, and
our friends, Mr. and Mrs. Fogson.
Twenty minutes after the departure of James Peake, the detective, this
woman knocked at the door of the poorhouse.
Her summons was answered by Mrs. Fogson.
"What's wanted?" asked the poorhouse matron, looking inquisitively at
the new arrival.
"Is there a boy named Jed Gilman living here?" asked the woman eagerly.
"Jed Gilman again!" repeated Mrs. Fogson. "What do you want of Jed
Gilman?"
"Answer my question first, if you please."
"Such a boy was living here till lately, but he became very troublesome
and finally ran away."
"Then he is not here now?" said the woman, looking very much
disappointed.
"No, but I expect he'll have to come back some time. A bad penny
generally returns. You haven't told me what you have to do with him?"
"Then I will tell you. I was the person who brought him here fourteen
years ago."
"You don't say so?" ejaculated Mrs. Fogson, her little bead-like eyes
sparkling with curiosity. "Was he your child?"
"Certainly not, but he was my brother's child."
"And what was your object in bringing him here?"
"My brother was dead, and the child was thrown upon me for support,"
answered the woman after a little hesitation. "I could not support him,
and so brought him where I thought he would have a home. But you are not
the woman who was in charge of the poorhouse at that time."
"No; that was Mrs. Avery."
"And is Mrs. Avery still living?"
"Yes; she lives in a small house in the village."
"I will go and see her."
But this did not suit the views of Mrs. Fogson, who was curious to hear
more about the antecedents of Jed.
"Won't you come in and take a cup of tea?" she asked with unusual
hospitality.
"I don't care for tea--it's slops," answered the visitor. "If you could
give me a thimbleful of whiskey I wouldn't mind taking it. When I am
tired and dragged out it goes to the right spot."
"Yes, I can give you a glass," answered Mrs. Fogson. "Me and Fogson
generally keeps a little in case of sickness, though we wouldn't have
it known, as this is a temperance town."
"You are safe with me, I won't mention it," said the caller.
She then learned that Jed was probably at Bar Harbor; but Mrs. Fogson
found out very little from her in return. After a few minutes the
strange woman set out on her walk to the Avery cottage.