ving a
child, a girl named after the mother, Dorothy Winchester Calvert.
That, dear, is you," and Jim paused to see the effect of his words.

Dorothy had risen, and coming to him, placed her hands in his and
said, "Is this all true or just a joke?" looking eagerly in his eyes
for the answer.

"Yes," answered Jim, with an attempt at gaiety, "yes, all true."

"Then do I understand that all Dorothy has to do is to prove she is
Dorothy Winchester Calvert and she will come into this inheritance?"
said Aunt Betty.

"Yes. Mr. Van Zandt said for me to tell you that he would like to see
you and Dorothy as early as possible in the morning, and for you to
bring with you any proofs, such as letters, pictures, etc., which you
have handy in your possession," instructed Jim.

The word pictures immediately recalled to Dorothy her late misfortune,
and she turned to Aunt Betty, saying, "Dear Aunt Betty, there is all
my proof gone--the pictures in that locket. They would have been just
what was needed, and now the locket is gone."

"Why has the locket gone?" questioned Jim.

"That is the sad news we had to tell you when you came in with the
good news," said Mrs. Calvert. "Dorothy has either mislaid or someone
has stolen her locket, the one I gave her with the pictures of her
father and mother in it."

"There," interrupted Alfy. "There is someone knocking. Maybe it is the
manager returning with the locket. It's an hour since he said that he
would have it back to Dorothy in that time."

The manager entered and came over to Mrs. Calvert's chair, and
said, "I am very sorry, madam, but I have not been able to recover
mademoiselle's trinket. It is nowhere to be found. I have had three
maids searched, three of them, who readily admitted going into the
suite upstairs. The maids were very angry, and threatened to leave my
employ. Nothing could be found. We have found no trace of it at all.
All we can do, madam, is to hope. I will get a detective and have him
try to locate the thief. Is it of great value?"

"Just now we have had news that makes the locket of precious value. An
estate, a large inheritance, hangs upon its recovery, as therein lies
the only proof we have, or, I should say, did have," answered Mrs.
Calvert.

"We will do all we can," continued the manager, "and make every effort
to restore the locket as quickly as possible." He then departed, and
prepared to have the lost article traced without any delay.

"I have my lis