"I am very much obliged to you for the picture," said Bert. "With it to help me I hope I may find your brother." "If you do," returned Mrs. Clifton, "will you write to me and let me know, Mr.----?" "Barton. You will see my name on the playbill--Bert Barton. Yes, I will write to you in that case." "There is one question I would like to ask you, Mr. Barton. You say you have never met my brother?" "No." "Then how did you learn that he had a sister in Peoria, and how did you know that that sister was myself." "I was staying at his old boarding-house in Harrisburg. He left behind a box of papers, and among those papers was a letter from you, urging him to come to Peoria." "I remember that letter." "It was that letter--excuse my reading it--that led me to come to Peoria in search of Mr. Harding." "I am glad you came, for I have some hope through you of inducing Ralph to return. You see, Mr. Barton, there are only two of us. I had not seen him for five years, and now that he has left us, five years more may roll by before we meet again. I think Ralph would be better with us. He is not a cheerful man. Sometimes I think he is burdened with a secret which is preying upon him. I am sure he would be better off with us than among strangers." "I agree with you, Mrs. Clifton. You may rest assured that, should I be fortunate enough to find your brother, I will do all I can to induce him to return to you when our business is concluded. This may require him to go East, but afterward he will be free to go where he pleases. The secret you refer to may relate to the business upon which I wished to see him." As Bert rose to go Mrs. Clifton took his hand, and said, earnestly: "I wish you success, I am sure. I feel better for your visit." The information which Bert had received made him desirous of going back to Chicago as soon as possible and making every effort to find Ralph Harding. But there was one embarrassment. He did not like to leave the company till they were able to find a substitute. In New York this would have been easy, but here in Peoria there would be a great difficulty. But he was unexpectedly relieved from this perplexity. On Friday morning Mr. Pearson, who had just come from the manager's room, said to him, "I have news for you, Bert." "What is it, Mr. Pearson?" "Bob Hazleton has just arrived, and wants to take his old place. But, of course, that would not be fair to you." "Tell the manager to take him back," said Bert eagerly. "I have some important business calling me to Chicago, and I shall be glad to resign." "You are sure you won't be disappointed?" "Very sure. I have been wondering how I could resign without embarrassing the company." "We shall be very sorry to lose you, but if that is the way you feel, Bob is in luck." Bert played that evening in the presence of his predecessor in the role, and on Saturday took the morning train for Chicago. CHAPTER XXXV. SUCCESS COMES STRANGELY.