"Oh, thank you," said Miss Elton joyously, though her eyes were brimming over with tears. "No, I mustn't say anything yet; but, Mrs. Blair, will you bring the children up to my house this afternoon? This is my address," handing her a card. "You can get an omnibus near here that will take you all the way to West Kensington."
Having Mrs. Blair's promise that she would be there in good time, Miss Elton hastened home. Her brother had not yet returned, but she could settle to nothing till he came. She wandered about from the library to the drawing-room, then up to the nursery, where she caught Gladys up in her arms and danced with her about the room, while the little one screamed with delight.
At last the door-bell rang, and she rushed down to meet her brother in the hall.
"Well, dear," she cried, "what news?"
"My dear Winnie," replied her brother, "you are a perfect tornado.
Let me get inside;"
"Be quick, then," was the answer, and she pulled him into the drawing-room.
Seating himself in a chair, he proceeded to give her an account of his morning's work. When he arrived at Primrose Place he could not find any trace of the man Brown. An old woman who lived in the same house said that he had left the place soon after the boys went away. She said she remembered the children quite well, but she did not think they were brothers, because she knew a young woman came there about five years ago, bringing a baby with her, which she left. Mrs. Brown always gave out that it was her own, but she didn't ever remember her having a baby, and she didn't think it was her own. Brown himself was doing two years in gaol at the time Mrs. Brown died soon after he came out. She said that the children led a dreadful life with the man, and she was glad when they went away. "So you see, Winnie," he concluded, "that is all I could find out, and it is not enough to go upon."
"Ah, well," she replied, shaking her head, "Willie is coming here this afternoon, and then you will see. I am certain 'we have found Bertram."
And so sure was she, that her next business was to order the carriage and set off to the shop to buy a suit for Willie. Everything that the boy could possibly, want in the shape of underclothes was bought, and then the little velvet suit that Nora Graham had suggested, with the lace collar, was added.
Precisely at three o'clock Mrs. Blair appeared with the children. Little Gladys was delighted to see Willie, and would sit next to him at the table while they had some tea. Mr. Elton came in and looked at them, and he, too, was struck with the likeness between the children.