“Mildred!” It was Geraldine who spoke, and Mildred involuntarily shuddered as she heard the voice. “Uncle Robert once saw the woman who took care of Cousin Helen, and talked with her of his daughter and the baby, both of whom she declared to be dead. Had we not better send for him at once, and see if he remembers this creature,” nodding toward Esther Bennett, who had also entered the room. “He surely cannot mistake her if he ever saw her once.” Oliver looked to see the hag make some objections, but, to his surprise, she said eagerly: “Yes, send for him. He will remember me, for he came to New York just three days after I left the baby at this door. He is a tall man, slightly bald, with black eyes, and coarse black hair, then beginning to be gray.” Mildred groaned as did Oliver, for the description was accurate, while even the Judge brought his fist down upon the table, saying: “Bob to a dot! but hanged if I believe it! We’ll telegraph though in the morning.” The result of the telegram was that at a late hour the next night Mr. Thornton rang the bell at Beechwood, asking anxiously why he had been sent for in such haste. “Because,” answered the Judge, who met him first, “maybe you’ve a grandchild upstairs, and maybe you hain’t!” “A grandchild!” gasped Mr. Thornton, all manner of strange fancies flitting through his brain. “What can you mean?” By this time Geraldine appeared, and hastily explaining to him what had occurred, she asked “if he could identify the woman who took care of Helen in New York?” “Yes, tell her from a thousand, but not now, not now,” and motioning her away, Mr. Thornton covered his face with his hand, and whispered faintly, “_My_ grandchild! My Mildred! That beautiful creature Helen’s child!” and with all his softer feelings awakened, the heart of the cold, stern man yearned toward the young girl he had once affected to despise. “Poor boy,” he said, as he thought of Lawrence, “’twill be terrible to him, for his whole soul was bound up in her. Where is this woman? There may be some mistake. I trust there is, for the young people’s sake,” and the generous feeling thus displayed swept away at once all animosity from the Judge’s heart. “Describe her first as nearly as you can,” said Geraldine, and after thinking a moment Mr. Thornton replied: “Tall, grizzly; badly marked with small-pox, and had then one or more long teeth in front, which gave her a most haggish appearance.” “The same, the same!” dropped from Oliver’s lips, while the Judge, too, responded: “It’s all almighty queer, but blasted if I believe it!” At Mr. Thornton’s request, Esther Bennett came in, and the moment his eyes fell upon her, he said: “’Tis the woman I saw eighteen years ago; I cannot be mistaken in that.”