You may not know, but she is not my
daughter; she thinks she is, though. Her parents died when she was
small, and I provided for her. I'm her half-uncle. I got avaricious in
my old age, and went into a number of questionable schemes.
"'After leaving New Mexico, I worked the dust off, a little at a time,
an' wasted the money--but never mind that.
"'It was just before she got aboard the ship that Rachel sent me a
letter containing another to you, to be sent when all was right--I've
carried it ever since--somehow or other I was afraid it would drop a
clew to send it at first, and after it got a year old, I didn't think of
it much.'
"He fumbled around inside of his dirty flannel shirt for a minute, and
soon fished up a letter almost as black as the shirt, and holding it up,
said:
"'That's it.'
"'I had the envelope off in a second, and read:
"'DEAR JOSEPH:
"'I am going to my aunt, Mrs. Julia Bradshaw, 15 Harrow Lane,
Leicester, England. If you do not change your mind, I will be
happy to talk over our affairs whenever you are ready.
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