found the minister who baptized you. He is
still living, at a very advanced age--the Rev. Mr. Barnard. I called
upon him, and recalled his attention to the period when your father
lived in the city. I found that he remembered both your parents very
well. Not only that, but he has a very full diary covering that time, in
which he showed me this record:

"'Baptized, June 17th, Hector, the son of Thomas and Martha Roscoe; a
bright, healthy child, in whom the parents much delight."

"Then it seems to me," said Hector, "that my case is a very strong one."

"Unusually so. In fact, it could not be stronger. I marvel how Allan
Roscoe, your uncle, could have ventured upon a fraud which could be so
easily proved to be such."

"He depended upon Sacramento being so far away," said Hector. "He
thought I would accept my father's letter without question."

"That letter was undoubtedly forged," said the minister.

"It must have been, but it was very cleverly forged. The handwriting
was a very close copy of my father's." It was a great pleasure to Hector
that he could say "my father" without a moment's doubt that he was
entitled to say so.

"He thought, also, that you would not have the means to come here to
investigate for yourself," said Mr. Richards.

"Yes, and he would have been right but for the commission Mr. Newman
gave me. What course would you advise me to take," asked Hector, a
little later, "to substantiate my claim?"

"Get Mrs. Blodgett's and Rev. Mr. Barnard's sworn affidavits, and place
them in the hands of a reliable lawyer, requesting him to communicate
with your uncle."

This advice seemed to Hector to be wise, and he followed it.
Fortunately, he had no difficulty in inducing both parties to accede to
his request. The next day he returned to San Francisco.

CHAPTER XXXVII. A NARROW ESCAPE.

Armed with the affidavits which were to restore to him the position in
life of which his uncle had wickedly deprived him, Hector returned to
San Francisco. He found Gregory unaffectedly glad to see him.

"Glad to see you back, Hector," he said; "I missed you."

Hector was glad to find that Gregory had not taken advantage of his
absence to indulge in any of his old excesses. He began to hope that he
had already turned over the new leaf which was so desirable.

"I know what you are thinking of," said Gregory, after Hector had
returned his salutation. "You are wondering whether I 'cut up' any while
you were g