Chapter Eighty-Eight
“We are doing some research at Harvard.” Theo flashed his college ID to the receptionist. “Did this building used to be St. Joseph’s Orphan Asylum?”
The receptionist smiled at Theo. “They’re probably still in the basement,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s a labyrinth down there, but nothing was ever thrown out that pertained to the adoptions.”
“Do you think we could take a peek and see if we can find what we’re looking for?”
“Yes,” Violet said.
“It will be in the archives then, not in the files that still have the sealed adoptions from more recent years. Hold on,” she said as she rose from her chair. “I’ll go in the back and check for you.”
“It’s your lucky day,” she said when she returned. “I just need to see both of your identifications and register you. Then go downstairs and one of the sisters will assist you.”
Sister Rose greeted them and seemed tickled with the research question.
“We’re working on a project involving the Widener Library,” Theo explained, not wanting to lie to the nun.
“We need to see all the original birth certificates from children adopted from the asylum who had a birth date of January 5th, 1913,” Violet added.
“All right,” she nodded. “There shouldn’t be too many in the files. Let me take a look for you and see what I find.”
She returned fifteen minutes later grasping a manila folder. “We have three children born on that day. One baby girl and two baby boys, if that makes it easier for you.”
“It does,” Violet said. “A lot. Can we see the girl’s certificate?”
They went over to a small metal table and the nun opened the folder showing them two birth certificates. The amended adoptive one was on top.
Violet reached to read it. The parchment was half the size of a legal sheet of paper. The black-and-white ink was faded, but she could still easily make out the names of her maternal grandparents, Alice and Joseph McDougal, as the new parents of Helen Rose McDougal born on January 5, 1913.
Her heartbeat began to accelerate as she put that certificate down and read the one beneath it.
In this document, her grandmother’s name was listed as Elizabeth, the name listed for her mother was Ada Lippoldt, and the father’s name was listed as Jim Hawkins.
Violet’s stomach flipped.
“Jim Hawkins?” Theo said as he took the paper from her hand. “Your grandmother is Ada’s child, as we suspected. But who is Jim Hawkins?”
Her eyes filled with tears. “It’s from Treasure Island, Theo.” She reached out to touch his arm. “He’s the main character in Harry’s favorite book.”
Theo and Violet could barely speak by the time they returned to the car.
“So there’s no proof now that you’re part Widener,” he said. “Why on earth did she not name him on the birth certificate? The nun said they were all sealed back then too. So no one would ever have known.”
“Maybe she was too scared? Maybe she thought someone might see the name and the adoption wouldn’t have been done for love, but money? I have no idea…”
“I’m sorry, Vi.”
She hadn’t yet had the energy to start driving back home. The day had been such an emotional whirlwind, Violet still was trying to get everything straight in her head.
“Don’t feel sorry for me. Honestly, I feel bad for my grandma. She always wanted to know where she came from… and this is such an incredible story.”
“Well, one thing is pretty clear to me. There was a reason that Harry’s ghost was trying to communicate with you. You’re his great-granddaughter, for chrissakes.”
She felt her eyes grow wet. “Now I understand why he said the reason he wanted to reach me was love.”