yes," said the woman, "often."

"She seemed to be attached to him?"

"Yes, indeed," said the woman, quickly; "she was always telling how good
he was to her; I have heard her say there was n't no better man in the
world."

"She must have talked about what he could do for the boy?"

"Yes," said the woman. "She expected him to do for Joe."

"Did n't she ever say," and the lawyer looked round at James,--"did n't
you ever hear her say that she was worried sometimes for fear her father
would not be careful enough about the boy?"

The woman hesitated a moment. "Yes," she said, "I have heard her say so,
but that 's what every mother says."

"What reason did you ever hear her give," the lawyer asked, "why she
would rather have him stay over there than to go and be brought up by
his grandfather Pelham?"

The woman looked around timidly at the judge. "Be I obliged to answer?"
she said.

The judge nodded.

The woman looked toward Captain Pelham with an embarrassed air. He was
the best friend she had in the world.

"I rather not say nothing about that," she said; "it 's no account,
anyway."

"Oh, tell us what she said," said Mr. Baker.

He felt that he had made some progress up to that point with his
cross-examination.

"Well, it was n't much," said the woman; "it was only like this. I have
heard her say that Miss Captain Pelham was a good woman and meant to do
what was right, but she was n't a woman that knew how to mother a little
boy." And here the witness began to cry.

The judge moved slightly in his chair.

There was more or less rambling talk about the way the boy was allowed
to run loose on the shore, and some suggestions were made in the way of
conversational argument about his being allowed to go barefoot, and to
go in swimming when he pleased; but the judge seemed to pay very little
attention to that. "That 's the way we were all brought up," he said.
"It is good for the boy; he 'll learn to take care of himself, and his
mother knew all about it.

"It is plain enough," he said at last, "that there would be some
advantages to the boy in going to live with Captain Pelham; but there
is one thing that has been overlooked which would probably have been
suggested if the petitioner Parsons had had counsel. It has been assumed
that the boy would be cut loose in future from his grandfather Pelham
unless he was put under his guardianship; but that is n't so. All his
grandparents will look out for him, and wh