HEART WERE BREAKING."]

"Josey, my poor boy, are you grieving because Essie's parents have found
her at last?"

Joe tried to speak, but could not, and the little woman continued:

"You should rejoice because the sufferings of that poor father and
mother are at an end. Try to imagine their distress when the dear child
was missing, and they could not know whether she was alive or dead.
Think of them, as they pictured her alone in the streets, wandering
around until exhausted, or falling into the hands of wicked people who
would abuse her. Fancy what their sufferings must have been as compared
with yours, when you know that she will receive even better treatment
than we could give her. It is wicked, Josey, my boy, to grieve so
sorely, for a mother's heart has been lightened of all the terrible load
which has been upon it for so many days."

Then aunt Dorcas patted the small portion of cheek which was exposed to
view between the bandages, and in many a loving way soothed the
sorrowing boy, until he suddenly sat bolt upright, wiping both eyes with
the sleeve of his coat, as he said, stoutly:

"I'm a bloomin' idjut, aunt Dorcas, that's what I am, an' if you'd turn
to an' kick me, I'd be served nearer right than by havin' you pity me."

"You're very far removed from an idiot, Joseph, and I am glad to know
your heart is still so tender that you can feel badly at the loss of a
dear little child like Essie,--Esther is her name. Now, Josey dear,
don't you want to know why those lawyers tried to find you?"

"Have you been to see them, too?" Joe cried, in surprise.

"Yes, indeed, dear. In the paper you took from Dan Fernald was another
advertisement directly below the one referring to you, and it was
concerning a little child who had been lost in the vicinity of the Grand
Central Station. The same names were signed to it, and on seeing that, I
believed I understood why so much money would be paid for information
concerning you."

"I s'pose it's all straight enough, aunt Dorcas; but I can't seem to
make out what you mean."

"Nothing can be plainer, my child. Little Essie was left in charge of a
nurse at the station, and when the foolish woman missed the baby,
instead of making immediate inquiries, she spent her time fainting. Not
until nearly eight o'clock that evening did the poor mother learn of her
terrible loss, and then detectives were sent out at once. The boy at the
fruit store, on being questioned, as was every one