he name of the
deceased as 'Mrs. Fairfax Collingwood.' My mother had this rectified in
a later publication of the paper, but that, of course, I never saw.

"Well, I went into the heart of Australia under the impression that I
was now really motherless, and under that impression I have lived ever
since. I cannot now detail to you all my wanderings and adventures. I
will only say that I became deeply interested in the Australian gold
mines, bought up one finally, and have superintended its running ever
since. Lately, it became necessary for me to make a business trip to New
York in connection with this mine, and I decided to come by way of
Europe, since I had never seen that portion of the globe. My business
would not keep me in New York more than a week, and I intended to travel
at once back to Australia across the continent, in order to see the
changes that had taken place since I left.

"I had absolutely no idea of visiting this old home. Why, indeed, should
I? My mother, as I supposed, was dead. Nothing else mattered. I had no
interest in the property. For aught I knew it might have changed hands
twenty times since we lived there. It might not even be in existence. At
any rate, I had no wish to revive the bitterness of that memory. Then
came the strange note this morning, which I believe you, Miss Joyce,
are responsible for!

"To say that I was completely bewildered by it, would be putting it
mildly. It made a statement that was new to me, indeed, and might
account for many things. But what was I to do about it? Which way should
I turn? No use to hurry down to South Carolina,--my mother being dead.
Of whom should I make inquiries? The firm of New York lawyers that I
remembered her as formerly retaining, I dreaded to consult, lest they
think I had come to make a claim on the property. There seemed to be
absolutely no clue.

"And then I happened to look at the envelope and saw that it was
postmarked Rockridge, a region which I speedily ascertained was right in
the vicinity of my old home. That decided me to come out here at once,
this afternoon, hunt up the spot, and try to discover in this way
whether there was any use of pursuing investigations further in this
direction.

"As I have said, I naturally supposed that the property had changed
hands many times before this; and that all its old belongings had long
since been sent to my mother or sold by her orders.

"When I arrived in this street and saw the old hous