"Then I will proceed directly to the matter in hand. You remember, of
course, the Cherry Brook disaster and what occurred there?"

"I shall never forget it," she said.

"I have a strange thing to tell you about that, an almost incredible
thing. An old man has visited me at my office, within the last few
days, who claims to have saved your child from that wreck, to have
taken him to his own home and cared for him, and to know that he is
living to-day."

The woman rose from her chair, with a sudden pallor on her face, too
greatly startled, for the moment, to reply.

"I beg you to be calm, madam," the lawyer said; "I will try to speak
of the matter as gently as possible."

"Ralph!" she exclaimed, "my Ralph! did you say that he is living?"

"So this old man says. I am simply telling you his story. He seems to
be very much in earnest, though I am bound to say that his appearance
is somewhat against him."

"Who is he? Bring him here! I will question him myself. Bring the
child to me also; why did you not bring the child?"

"My dear lady, I beg that you will be calm; if you will allow me I
will explain it all, so far as lies in my power."

"But if my boy is living I must see him; I cannot wait! It is cruel to