then flicked the horses into a swift
trot. She must get him home. Perhaps he was going to be ill. The boy did
not move or look up for miles. When the horses splashed through the ford
at Elm Creek, he roused himself and looked dully at Jane.

"Sherm, please tell me. It will make it easier for you to tell somebody,
and I'm worried to death."

He stooped and picked up the letter. Smoothing it out, he thrust it into
her hand. "Read it." He took the reins.

Chicken Little ran over the letter hurriedly. It bore a date some days
previous.

* * * * *

"My Dear Boy:

"Dr. Jones has just told me it can be only a question of days now. I
have been studying whether to send for you or not. Father settled the
question for me. He said he wanted sorrowfully to see you, but in view
of the things that must be told you, it would be too painful an ordeal
for all of us. He said to tell you you were very precious to him--as
precious as if you had really been his own son."

* * * * *

Chicken Little gave a little cry. "Sherm, what does she mean?"

"Read it all."

* * * * *

"For, Sherm, you are not our own. If Father could have lived, we never
intended you to know this--at least not until you were a man and had
made a place for yourself. But Father's illness is leaving us penniless.
Sue's husband has offered Grace and myself a home with them, but he
thinks you must be told the truth--that it is only fair to you. We took
you when you were about two and a half years old under very peculiar
circumstances. It was while we were still living in New York, and Sue
was a tot of five. We were going up to my father's in Albany and were a
little late. Father told the hackman to drive fast; he'd give him an
extra dollar if he'd catch the train. The man had been drinking and
drove recklessly. He was just dashing round the corner to the
station--the train was already whistling--when he knocked down, and ran
over, a woman with a child in her arms. The child was pitched to one
side and escaped with a few bruises. The woman never regained
consciousness. You have probably guessed that you were that child. We
could never find out who she was, though we advertised for several
weeks. We decided to bring you up with Sue, and when we moved to
Centerville, soon after, no one knew you were not our own child. We had
you baptized