he keeps half the money, an'
gives the other half of it to a 'tective, an' then the 'tective, he
finds out all about you. Uncle Billy says that's the way. He says if
you git a good smart lawyer you can find out 'most anything."

"And suppose you should find your parents, and they should be rich and
give you a great deal of money, how would you spend it?"

"Well, I don't know; I'd give a lot of it to Uncle Billy, I guess,
an' some to Widow Maloney, an'--an' I'd go to the circus, an'--but I
wouldn't care so much about the money, sir, if I could have folks like
other boys have. If I could only have a mother, that's what I want
worst, a mother to kiss me every day, an' be good to me that way, like
mothers are, you know; if I could only jest have that, I wouldn't want
nothin' else, not never any more."

The man turned his face away.

"And wouldn't you like to have a father too?" he asked.

"Oh, yes, I would; but I _could_ git along without a father, a real
father. Uncle Billy's been a kind o' father to me; but I ain't never
had no mother, nor no sister; an' that's what I want now, an" I want
'em very bad. Seems, sometimes, jes' as if I _couldn't_ wait; jes' as
if I couldn't stan' it no longer 'thout 'em. Don't--don't you s'pose
the things we can't have is the things we want worst?"

"Yes, my boy: yes. You've spoken a truth as old as the ages. That
which I myself would give my fortune for I can never have. I mean my
little boy who--who died. I cannot have him back. His name too was
Ralph."

For a few moments there was silence in the screen-room. The child was
awed by the man's effort to suppress his deep emotion.

At last Ralph said, rising:--

"Well, I mus' go now an' tell Uncle Billy."

Mr. Burnham rose in his turn.

"Yes," he said, "you'll be late for the circus if you don't hurry.
What! you're not going? Oh! yes, you _must_ go. Here, here's a silver
dollar to add to your identity fund; now you can afford to spend the
quarter. Yes," as the boy hesitated to accept the proffered money,
"yes, you _must_ take it; you can pay it back, you know, when--when
you come to your own. And wait! I want to help you in that matter of
establishing your identity. Come to my office, and we'll talk it over.
Let me see; to-day is Tuesday. Friday we shall shut down the screens a
half-day for repairs. Come on Friday afternoon."

"Thank you, sir; yes, sir, I will."

"All right; good-by!"

"Good-by, sir!"

When Ralph reached t