s I am to learn who my parents were?"

The woman spoke in the plural, and the detective, desiring to be
evasive, could safely say:

"I fear, madam, that is a mystery that can never be wholly solved, but I
have something to show you."

The detective always carried the photograph with him, and our readers
will understand later the story of the photograph. He showed the picture
to the woman, and she almost fainted, so intense was her agitation. Jack
observed her agitation, and there came a look of triumph in his face. He
could discern, as he believed, that after all he had made a successful
"shadow."

"Where did you get this picture?" demanded the woman, in an agitated
tone.

"You recognize it?"

"I do."

"You knew the original?"

"I did."

"She still lives?"

"She does."

"Where?"

"Here."

"What do you mean, madam?"

"I have the mate to that picture, as I live."

"You have the mate to the picture?"

"I have."

"Where?"

"Here."

The woman drew a locket from her bosom and handed it to our hero, who at
a glance recognized that the locket portrait and the daguereotype were
pictures of the same child.

"You say you know the original of these two portraits?"

"I do. Oh, strange, strange, I never noticed it so strikingly before,
but either picture might be taken as a portrait of my dear child at the
same age. How wonderful the resemblance! and here I am a scarred-face
woman, hideous to gaze upon--so hideous I always go veiled. It's
wonderful, it's wonderful."

The detective saw that the woman was really talking to and communing
with herself, but after a moment he asked:

"Madam, was that picture taken for you when you were a child?"

"It was."

"You are certain?"

"When you see my daughter you will have proof--sufficient proof. Tell
me, sir, what does it all mean--where did you get that picture?"

"Shall I tell you the history of that picture?"

"If you please."

"Madam, I will, and you must prepare to listen to a very remarkable
story. A little more than forty years ago a gentleman in New York
received a visitor. The gentleman was a young banker; his visitor
deposited with him a large sum of money, placing the money in trust. The
banker was to hold the money for twenty years and then open a letter
that was given to him. The banker invested the money but lost the
letter, and at the expiration of twenty years found himself the
custodian of a large fortune without any knowledge as to i