“You were separated from him years ago?” “I was.” “You took your child with you?” “I did.” “What became of that child?” “I was taken ill and removed to a hospital in an unconscious condition. Hence I could give no directions as regarded my daughter.” “Well?” “When I recovered and was discharged from the hospital and went in quest of my child I could find nothing of her. On returning to the hospital afterward I learned that she had been there in search of me, but I lost all trace there, and never was able to discover anything of her until a couple of days ago.” “Yet you were both in the city all the time?” “Yes.” “Isn’t it a trifle singular that you could not find her, and that you never met?” “I suppose it is. And yet New York is a large place, and a person might live next door to a long lost friend and not know it.” “True! But a detective might have solved the problem for you in a very short time, if you had been anxious to find your child.” “I employed a detective.” “Did you?” “Yes.” “And he could not find any trace of your child?” “Apparently not.” “Well, I don’t think much of him as a detective. But to business! You got on the track of your daughter a couple of days ago?” “I did.” “How?” “I advertised for information in the personal columns of a daily paper, offering a reward.” “Somebody gave you the information you wanted?” “Yes. A girl who worked in the same store with Helen saw the personal and came and told me of her.” “What did you do then?” “I went yesterday to the place where I had learned she was boarding, to see if by any possibility this Helen Doane was my child.” “Well?” “I found she was out.” The detective rejoined: “And left word that you would return to-day at noon?” Giving him a surprised look, the lady said: “You know, it seems, of my visit there?” “I do.” “You were there after I was?” “Yes.” He was looking sharply but covertly at her, and she knew it. Quietly, he now said: “You came here last night, I am told?” “I did.” “And asked for Miss Doane?” “I did.” “If, when you left her boarding house at one or two o’clock, you did not know that she was here, how could you have come here and inquired for her with such perfect confidence as to the result?” Looking him fairly in the face, the lady returned: “I can see, sir, that you suspect me, or if you do not, at least you want every circumstance that seems at all strange explained to your satisfaction.” “That is the truth.” “Well, the explanation is easy. Instead of waiting until to-day to go back to her boarding house, I went there later in the afternoon. In the meantime she had returned with Mr. Barnes and had left word for me that she could be found here, on learning which I at once came to this place.” “Had you then heard of what had befallen your husband?” “I learned it while on my way here, from the columns of an afternoon paper that I bought in the car.” “You found Miss Doane here?” “I did.”