ace was radiant with happiness.

"Is there any, any doubt about it now?" she asked.

"None whatever," he replied.

"And what of Rhyming Joe's story?"

"It was a pure falsehood. He does not tire of telling how he swindled
the sharpest lawyer in Scranton out of a hundred and fifty dollars, by
a plausible lie. He takes much credit to himself for the successful
execution of so bold a scheme. But the money got him into trouble. He
had too much, he spent it too freely, and, as a consequence, he is
serving a short term of imprisonment in the Alleghany county jail for
some petty offence."

The tears would keep coming into the lady's eyes; but they were tears
of joy, not of sorrow.

"I have the detective's report here in writing," continued Goodlaw;
"I will give it to you that you may read it at your leisure. Craft's
story was true enough in its material parts, but a gigantic scheme was
based on it to rob both you and your son. The odium of that, however,
should rest where the expense of the venture rested, on Craft's
attorney. It is a matter for sincere congratulation that Ralph's
identity was not established by them at that time. He has been
delivered out of the hands of sharpers, and his property is wholly
saved to him.

"I learn that Craft is dying miserably in his wretched lodgings in
Philadelphia. With enough of ill-gotten gain to live on comfortably,
his miserly instincts are causing him to suffer for the very
necessities of life."

"I am sorry for him," said the lady; "very sorry."

"He is not deserving of your sympathy, madam; he treated your son with
great cruelty while he had him."

"But he saved Ralph's life."

"That is no doubt true, yet he stole the jewelry from the child's
person and kept him only for the sake of obtaining ransom.

"This reminds me that it is also true that he had an interview with
your husband on the day of Mr. Burnham's death. What took place
between them I cannot ascertain, but I have learned that afterward,
while the rescuing party were descending into the mine, your husband
recognized Ralph in a way that those who saw and heard him could not
at the time understand. Recent events, however, prove beyond a doubt
that your husband knew, on the day he died, that this boy was his
son."

Mrs. Burnham had been weeping silently.

"You are bringing me too much good and comforting news," she said; "I
am not quite able to bear it all, you see."

She was smiling through her tears, but