than bein' wi' ye. Ye're ower kin' to think o' it. It'll be hard
partin' wi' im, but, if the lad wishes it, he s'all gae. I ha'
no claim on 'im only to do what's best for 'im as I ken it. He's
a-comin'; he'll speak for 'imsel'."

Ralph came back into the room with face and hands as clean as a
hurried washing could make them. "What thenk ye," said Bachelor Billy
to him, "that the lady wants for ye to do?"

"I don't know," replied the boy, looking uneasily from one to the
other; "but she's been very good to me, an', whatever it is, I'll try
to do it."

"I want you to go home with me, Ralph," said Mrs. Burnham, "and live
with me and be my son. I am not sure yet that you are not my child. We
shall find that out. With the new light we have we shall make a new
search for proofs of your identity, but that may take weeks, perhaps
months. In the meantime I cannot do without you. I want you to come to
me now, and, whatever the result of this new investigation may be, I
want you to stay with me and be my son. Will you come?"

She had taken both the boy's hands and had drawn him to her, and was
looking up into his face with tenderness and longing.

Ralph could not speak. He was dumb with the joy of hearing her kindly
earnest words. A light of great gladness broke in upon his mind. The
world had become bright and beautiful once more. He was not to be
without home and love and learning after all. Then came second
thoughts, bringing doubt, hesitancy, mental struggling.

Still he was silent, looking out through the open door to the eastern
hills, where the sunlight lingered lovingly with golden radiance. On
the boy's face the lights and shadows, coming and going, marked the
progress of the conflict in his mind.

The lady put her arm around him and drew him closer to her, regardless
of his soiled and dusty clothing. She was still looking into his eyes.

"You will come, will you not, Ralph? We want you so much, so very
much; do we not, Mildred?" she asked, turning to her little daughter,
who stood at the other side of her chair.

"Indeed we do," answered the child. "Mamma wants you an' I want you.
I don't have anybody to play wiv me half the time, 'cept Towser; an'
yeste'day I asked Towser if he wanted you, an' Towser said 'bow,' an'
that means 'yes.'"

"There! you see we all want you, Ralph," said Mrs. Burnham, smiling;
"the entire family wants you. Now, you will come, won't you?"

The boy had looked across to the little gi