It happened that the poorhouse at Hilltown near by, to which the
infant would have gone if he had left it to the care of the county,
was at that time being "investigated," with all that the name
implies when referring to public matters; the clergy of the
neighborhood being active in pushing the charges, Mr. Davis felt
that at present it would look best for him to provide for the child
himself. As the investigation came to nothing, the inducement was
made a permanent one; perhaps also the memory of the mother's wan
face had something to do with the matter. At any rate the young
clergyman, tho but scantily provided for himself, managed to spare
enough to engage a woman in the town to take care of the young
charge. Subsequently when Mr. Davis' wife died the woman became
Helen's nurse, and so it was that Arthur, as the baby boy had been
christened, became permanently adopted into the clergyman's little
family.

It had not been possible to keep from Arthur the secret of his
parentage, and the fact that it was known to all served to keep him
aloof from the other children of the town, and to drive him still
more to the confidence of Helen. One of the phrases which Mr. Davis
had caught from the mother's lips had been that the boy was a
"gentleman's son;" and Helen was wont to solace him by that
reminder. Perhaps the phrase, constantly repeated, had much to do
with the proud sensitiveness and the resolute independence which
soon manifested itself in the lad's character. He had scarcely
passed the age of twelve before, tho treated by Mr. Davis with the
love and kindness of a father, he astonished the good man by
declaring that he was old enough to take care of himself; and tho
Mr. Davis was better situated financially by that time, nothing that