"And have a home, a beautiful home, with books, pictures, horses, fine
clothes, everything that wealth could furnish?"

"That'd be lovely, very lovely; but I don't quite 'xpect that, an'
what I want most is a good mother, a real, nice, good mother. Haven't
you got one for me? say, haven't you got one?"

The boy had risen to his feet and stood with clasped hands, gazing
anxiously at Sharpman.

"Yes, my boy, yes," said the lawyer, "we've found a good mother for
you, the best in the city of Scranton, and the sweetest little sister
you ever saw. Now what do you think?"

"I think--I think 'at it's most too good to be true. But you wouldn't
tell me a lie about it, would you? you wouldn't do that, would you?"

"Oh, no! Ralph; good lawyers never lie, and I'm a good lawyer."

"An' when can I see 'em? Can I go to 'em to-night? I don't b'lieve I
can wait,--I don't b'lieve I can!"

"Ralph! Ralph! you promised to be quiet and reasonable. There, be
seated and wait till you hear us through. There is something better
yet for you to know. Now, who do you suppose your mother is? She lives
in Scranton."

Ralph sat, for a moment, in stupid wonder, staring at Sharpman. Then
a brilliant thought, borne on by instinct, impulse, strong desire,
flashed like a ray of sunlight, into his mind, and he started to his