mmand. "And so I--I--am not your son." He could scarcely
speak the words.

"Oh, Jack!" The lady caught him in her arms. "So you know the truth at
last?" She kissed him. "But you are my son, just as if you were my own
flesh and blood. You are not angry at me for keeping this a secret so
long? I did it because I did not wish to hurt your feelings."

"No, I am not angry at you, Mrs. Ruth----"

"Call me mother, Jack."

"I am not angry, mother. You have been very kind to me. But it is so
strange! I can't understand it all," and he heaved a deep sigh.

"You have been a son to me in the past, Jack; I wish you to continue to
be one."

"But I have no real claim upon you."

"Yes, you have, for my late husband and myself adopted you."

"Marion told me that you never heard one word regarding my past."

"She told the truth. We tried our best, but every effort ended in
failure. Your mother called you Jack ere she died, and that was all."

"What of our clothing? Was none of it marked, or had she nothing in her
pocket?"

"No, the clothing was not marked, and she had nothing in her pocket but
a lace handkerchief, also unmarked. That handkerchief I have kept, with
the clothing. And I have also kept a ring she wore upon one of her
fingers."

"Was that marked?"

"It had been, but it was so worn that we could not make out the marking,
nor could the two jewelers by whom we had the ring inspected."

"I would like to see the ring."

"I will get it," returned Mrs. Ruthven, and left the room. Soon she came
back with a small jewel casket, from which she took a ring and a very
dainty lace handkerchief.

"Here is the ring," she said, as she passed it over to Jack.

"It looks like a wedding ring," said the youth, as he gazed at the
circlet of gold.

"I believe it is a wedding ring."

Jack looked inside and saw some markings, but all were so faint that it
was impossible to make out more than the figures 1 and 8.

"Those figures stand for eighteen hundred and something, I imagine,"
said Mrs. Ruthven. "They must give the year when your mother was
married."

"I suppose you are right."

"The ring belongs to you, Jack. I would advise you to be careful of it."

"If you please, I would like to have you keep it for the present."

"I will do that willingly."

The handkerchief was next examined. But it seemed to be without markings
of any kind, and was soon returned to the jewel case along with the
ring.

"Now tell me how Mar