And you didn't know that, Pastor--how she came into our house? Well, during that same terrible winter, we were returning one night, my husband and myself, from the town, where we had at our own expense erected a soup-kitchen--when suddenly, at the corner of the woods yonder, where the road makes a sharp turn, our horses shied--and there, in the middle of the road, we saw lying, a woman, with a child pressed closely to her bosom. She refused to stir and begged us to put her out of her misery. Of course, we took her into the sleigh at once--ah, she was in an awful condition---- Brauer. I tell you, Pastor, it was months before we could rid the blankets of vermin. Mrs. Brauer. And the child, the poor little thing----! But after being bathed and fed, and lying there, between the clean white covers, we both stood over its bed--the little thing, with its pinched face, laughed at us and stretched out its tiny hands--my husband said to me: "Wife, I believe this is our share of all this sorrow and misery that heaven has sent us." Brauer. For you must know. Pastor, that our own daughter, Gertrude was then not yet born. Mrs. Brauer. No, not until three years later. Well, we bought the child from that miserable, drunken woman, in proper, legal form--determined and glad to get rid of her, for she did smell so of gin, I could not endure it any longer. Brauer. That is what the worst drunkards in these parts prefer to brandy. Pastor. Unfortunately!!! Brauer. But to come back to my nephew---- Pastor. Pardon me, another question. What became of the mother? Brauer. Ah, that is a bad story--and just to-day---- Pastor. Yes---- Brauer. Oh--nothing, nothing. Anyway--that woman really did return, and as we did not want the child to see her, we gave her more money. Of course she remembered that and so finally she became a positive plague. Mrs. Brauer. Oh, Henry, I have often thought since, perhaps a mother's heart prompted her---- Brauer. You think so, eh? Then perhaps a mother's heart also prompted her to steal at the same time! for every time she honored us with a visit, something or other disappeared, until I grew suspicious, had her watched, she was caught red-handed--and, of course, a long term in prison was the result. Pastor. And the girl--does she know or suspect anything at all? Mrs. Brauer. We told her, her mother was dead. But one day she really did see her. Pastor. How did that misfortune happen?