"
Jenison abruptly left the group and strode out upon the porch, leaving
the others to puzzle themselves over his unexpected defection.
In the five years that had passed since his brief but ever green
experience with the circus he had not come upon a single trace of Mary
Braddock and Christine. With all the impulsiveness of boyhood he had
at first made feverish efforts to find them. Detectives in his employ
followed the circus for several weeks, keenly alert to discover
anything that might put them on the track. Others shadowed the
disgruntled Colonel; while Blake, his old pursuer, went to New York
and, reinforced by agency men of Gotham, watched the home of Albert T.
Portman. But they had disappeared so completely that every effort to
unearth them proved futile. David was in college the following winter
when he heard, through Dick Cronk, that Colonel Grand had sold out the
circus to P. T. Barnum, with whose vast enterprises it was speedily
amalgamated. As the concern was sold at private sale, by actual
premeditation, Mary Braddock's interests were undefended. There was
talk among the circus people, however, to the effect that Grand, after
certain judgments had been satisfied, advertised throughout the
country for Mrs.
Pages:
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353