She died when I was sixteen , and since then I have been quite alone in the world . That is all I know about myself . '' Max Seeley was plainly excited . `` Why do you think your real name begins with S ? '' he asked . `` I have a watch which belonged to my mother , with the monogram ` B.S. ' on the case . It was left with the matron of the asylum and she gave it to Mrs. Price for me . Here it is . '' Max Seeley almost snatched the old-fashioned little silver watch , from her hand and opened the case . An exclamation escaped him as he pointed to some scratches on the inner side . They looked like the initials M.A.S. `` Let me tell my story now , '' he said . `` My name is Maxwell Seeley . My father died when I was seven years old , and my mother a year later . My little sister , Bertha , then three years old , and I were left quite alone and very poor . We had no relatives . I was adopted by a well-to-do old bachelor , who had known my father . My sister was taken to an orphan asylum in a city some distance away . I was very much attached to her and grieved bitterly over our parting . My adopted father was very kind to me and gave me a good education . I did not forget my sister , and as soon as I could I went to the asylum .
I found that she had been taken away long before , and I could not even discover who had adopted her , for the original building , with all its records , had been destroyed XXXXX fire two years previous to my visit .
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