Miss Julia flushed again prettily, but she was too much the lady to giggle or squirm or do any of those unlovable things by which the hopeless female makes herself more hopeless. She was used to hearing herself addressed as "Miss Julia" by all the world; but it seemed none the less especially sweet to hear the words in these rich, full, manly tones. (In her diary she wrote, "He addressed me in rich, full, manly tones.") "Yes, I came as soon as my duties allowed me to get away today, Judge. It was a busy day for me, although it is the Sabbath. I was classifying some of the books. Thanks to your generosity, we have just received a good shipment. "But you see, the town is all wrapped up in all these other things that have happened--that's why I came, Judge Henderson." "I presume you have reference to that unfortunate young man who now lies in prison? In what capacity then can I serve you, Miss Julia?" His tone now was icy and reserved. "I came to you, Judge Henderson, because I knew I would find in you a champion for justice. Why, all the town has come to depend on you for almost _everything_! I suppose that is why I came--it seemed the natural thing to do." Judge Henderson, regretting his half-finished glass, now impossible, coughed behind his hand. "I am afraid, Miss Julia," said he, "that you don't quite know who he is, that boy." "Ah, do I not! Why, he is _my_ boy, my _own_ boy!" "I beg pardon, but what do you mean, Miss Julia?" "I say he's my boy! What I say about that is privileged--it's professional, Judge Henderson. No one else has heard me say what I am telling you now. But he _is_ my boy--my love has gone into him, the same as if I were his mother." He only stared as she rushed on. "I know his mother--we have been friends here since we were girls, real friends. I'm the only friend she's got in this town--and the only fair and kind thing this town has ever done has been to allow me to be the friend of Aurora Lane. I suppose that's because I am only the little lame librarian! I don't count. She doesn't count. But--well, between us two--we've had a boy!" He stared, pale, as she went on: "Between us two, we've brought him up. We've educated him. Between us two, we have saved our money--it wasn't much--and we've managed to give him something of an education, something of a life more than he could have gotten in this town. We have put him through college--we have given him a profession--we were going to give him a start. "I say 'we,' and I mean that. But, it isn't the money of mine that went into him--it's my _love_--it's the _love_ I felt for him! Why, Judge, I've seen him grow up. I've held him in my two hands, this way, when he was so little ... oh, very little.... So you see, he's my boy, too! "And so," she added inconsequently, as he made no answer, "I came to you." (What the angels understood in Miss Julia's unspoken words then they did not make plain to the ears of the man who heard them.)