Now his eyes were sparkling and more nervously
than ever he kept pushing back the lock of hair that hung over his
forehead.
"Well, I've been away," he began.
The Clarks said that they had heard so.
"I been to western Pennsylvania."
His hearers expressed a lukewarm interest.
"I went to hunt up the records of Fayette County concerning the
grandparents of Mary here."
"I hope you were successful," remarked the elder Miss Clark politely.
"Yes, ma'am, I was," shouted Hapgood in reply, thumping his hand on the
arm of his chair with a vigor that startled his hosts. "Yes, sir, I was,
sir; perfectly successful; _en_-tirely successful."
Mr. Clark murmured something about the gratification the success must be
to Mr. Hapgood and awaited the next outburst.
It came without delay.
"Do you want to know what I found out?"
"Certainly, if you care to tell us."
"Well, I found out that Mary here is the granddaughter of your cousin,
Emily Leonard, you been huntin' for."
"Mary!" exclaimed the elder Miss Clark startled, her slender hands
fluttering agitatedly as the man's heavy voice forced itself upon her
ears and the meaning of what he said entered her mind.
"This child!" ejaculated the younger sister, Miss Eliza, doubtfully,
adjusting her glasses and leaning over to take a closer look at the
proposed addition to the family.
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