The
other one disappeared mysteriously."
"I believe so. He just walked away from his wife and family and
business one day and was never heard of again."
Ellsworth seemed to consider this admission significant. "Now the
sister, your aunt?"
"I think she's somewhere in the East; I never saw her."
"She is; she's an inmate of an institution the name and address of
which I have here." Ellsworth thrust his finger into the loose
pile of documents before him. Avoiding his caller's eyes he
continued: "You can't very well ignore such a family history,
Dave. I've never traced it back beyond the last generation, but
you probably could if you tried."
In a voice hardly his own, Dave articulated: "God! This is--
hideous."
"It is. I'd like to believe that you don't belong to the Laws, but
I can't put much faith in that childhood fancy of yours. Run it
down; convince yourself. But first go to the girl, whoever she is,
and tell her the facts. If she's the right sort--"
"No, no!" The words were wrung from Dave's lips. "She knows too
well how heredity acts; she's had one experience."
"Eh? You say she knows--Who is she, Dave? Don't tell me you mean--
Alaire?"
Dave nodded.
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