THE MAN CALLED "MERRILL"
her to a chair. "We are going to put Mr. Mann's memory to the test."
"Do you seriously mean that you want me to repeat that history?" asked the other suspiciously.
"I mean just that," said Jasper, and drew up a chair for his unpleasant visitor.
The record of John Minute's life came trippingly from Mann's tongue. He knew to an extraordinary extent the details of that strange and wild career.
"In 1892," said the investigator, continuing his narrative, "he was married at St. Bride's church, Port Elizabeth, to Agnes Gertrude Cole."
"Cole," murmured Jasper.
The little man looked at him with open mouth.
"Cole! Good Lord—you are—"
"I am his son," said Jasper quietly. "I am one of his two children. Your information is that there was one. As a matter of fact, there were two. My mother left my father with one
323
