tor's been a-rubbin' of im' an' a-givin' 'im stimmylants, an'
he says it's all right he'll be in the course of a few hours. Will ye
have a chair, ma'am?"

"Thank you. I'll sit here by him a while with the fan and relieve you.
Where is Ralph?"

"He's not come yet, ma'am."

"Why, Mrs. Maloney, are you sure? Is it possible that anything has
happened to him?"

"To shpake the trut', ma'am, I'm a bit worried about 'im meself. But
they said to me partic'ler, as how ivery man o' thim got out o' the
mine befoor the carriage fell. Most like he's a-watchin' the fire an'
doesn't know his Uncle Billy's hurted. Ye'll see 'im comin' quick
enough when he hears that, I'm thinkin'."

Mrs. Burnham had seated herself at the bedside with the fan in her
hand.

"I'll wait for him," she said; "perhaps he'll be here soon."

"I'll be lookin' afther the supper, thin," said Mrs. Maloney, "the
lad'll be hungry whin he comes," and she left the room.

Bachelor Billy lay very quiet, as if asleep, breathing regularly, his
face somewhat pale and his lips blue, but he had not the appearance of
one who is in danger.

A few minutes later there came a gentle knock at the street door. Mrs.
Burnham arose and opened it. Lawyer Goodlaw stood on the step. She
gave him as courteous greeting as though she had been under the roof
of her own mansion.

"I called at your home," he said, as he entered, "and, learning that
you had come here, I concluded to follow you."

He went up to the bed and looked at Bachelor Billy, bending over him
with kind scrutiny.

"I heard that the shock had affected him seriously," he said, "but he
does not appear to be greatly the worse for it; I think he'll come
through all right. He's an honest, warm-hearted man. I learned the
other day of a proposition that Sharpman made to him before the trial;
a tempting one to offer to a poor man, but he rejected it with scorn.
I'll tell you of it sometime; it shows forth the nobility of the man's
character."

Goodlaw had crossed the room and had taken a seat by the window.

"But I came to bring you news," he continued. "Our detective returned
this morning and presented a full report of his investigation and its
result. You will be pleased with it."

"Oh, Mr. Goodlaw! is Ralph--is Ralph--"

She was leaning toward him with clasped hands.

"Ralph is your son," he said.

She bowed her head, and her lips moved in silence. When she looked up,
there were tears in her eyes, but her f