While they were silent in view of their threatened loss, an elegantly
dressed lady appeared on the threshold. Smiling, radiant with happiness,
Mrs. Clifton seemed, to the cooper's family, almost a being from another
sphere.

"Mother," said Ida, taking the hand of the stranger, and leading her up
to Mrs. Harding, "this is my other mother, who has always taken such
good care of me, and loved me so well."

"Mrs. Harding," said Mrs, Clifton, her voice full of feeling, "how can I
ever thank you for your kindness to my child?"

"My child!"

It was hard for Mrs. Harding to hear another speak of Ida this way.

"I have tried to do my duty by her," she said, simply. "I love her as if
she were my own."

"Yes," said the cooper, clearing his throat, and speaking a little
huskily, "we love her so much that we almost forgot that she wasn't
ours. We have had her since she was a baby, and it won't be easy at
first to give her up."

"My good friends," said Mrs. Clifton, earnestly, "I acknowledge your
claim. I shall not think of asking you to make that sacrifice. I shall
always think of Ida as only a little less yours than mine."

The cooper shook his head.

"But you live in Philadelphia," he said. "We shall lose sight of her."

"Not unless you refuse to come to Philadelphia, too."

"I am a poor man. Perhaps I might not find work there."

"That shall be my care, Mr. Harding. I have another inducement to offer.
God has bestowed upon me a large share of this world's goods. I am
thankful for it since it will enable me in some slight way to express my
sense of your great kindness to Ida. I own a neat brick house, in a
quiet street, which you will find more comfortable than this. Just
before I left Philadelphia, my lawyer, by my directions, drew up a deed
of gift, conveying the house to you. It is Ida's gift, not mine. Ida,
give this to Mr. Harding."

The child took the parchment and handed it to the cooper, who took it
mechanically, quite bewildered by his sudden good fortune.

"This for me?" he said.

"It is the first installment of my debt of gratitude; it shall not be
the last," said Mrs. Clifton.

"How shall I thank you, madam?" said the cooper. "To a poor man, like
me, this is a most munificent gift."

"You will best thank me by accepting it," said Mrs. Clifton. "Let me
add, for I know it will enhance the value of the gift in your eyes, that
it is only five minutes' walk from my house, and Ida will come and see
you every day."

"Yes, mamma," said Ida. "I couldn't be happy away from father and
mother, and Jack and Aunt Rachel."

"You must introduce me to Aunt Rachel," said Mrs. Clifton, with a grace
all her own.

Ida did so.

"I am glad to make your acquaintance, Miss Rachel," said Mrs. Clifton.
"I need not say that I shall be glad to see you, as well as Mr. and Mrs.
Harding, at my house very frequently."

"I'm much obleeged to ye," said Aunt Rachel; "but I don't think I shall
live long to go anywheres. The feelin's I have sometimes warn me that
I'm not long for this world."

"You see, Mrs. Clifton," said Jack, his eyes dancing with mischief, "we
come of a short-lived family. Grandmother died at eighty-two, and that
wouldn't give Aunt Rachel long to live."

"You impudent boy!" exclaimed Aunt Rachel, in great indignation. Then,
relapsing into melancholy: "I'm a poor, afflicted creetur, and the
sooner I leave this scene of trial the better."

"I'm afraid, Mrs. Clifton," said Jack, "Aunt Rachel won't live to wear
that silk dress you brought along. I'd take it myself, but I'm afraid it
wouldn't be of any use to me."

"A silk dress!" exclaimed Rachel, looking up with sudden animation.

It had long been her desire to have a new silk dress, but in her
brother's circumstances she had not ventured to hint at it.

"Yes," said Mrs. Clifton, "I ventured to purchase dresses for both of
the ladies. Jack, if it won't be too much trouble, will you bring them
in?"

Jack darted out, and returned with two ample patterns of heavy black
silk, one for his mother, the other for his aunt. Aunt Rachel would not
have been human if she had not eagerly examined the rich fabric with
secret satisfaction. She inwardly resolved to live a little longer.

There was a marked improvement in her spirits, and she indulged in no
prognostications of evil for an unusual period.

Mrs. Clifton and Ida stopped to supper, and before they returned to the
hotel an early date was fixed upon for the Hardings to remove to
Philadelphia.

In the evening Jack told the eventful story of his adventures to eager
listeners, closing with the welcome news that he was to receive the
reward of a thousand dollars offered for the detection of the
counterfeiters.

"So you see, father, I am a man of fortune!" he concluded.

"After all, Rachel, it was a good thing we sent Jack to Philadelphia,"
said the cooper.

Rachel did not notice this remark. She was busily discussing with her
sister-in-law the best way of making up her new silk.




CHAPTER XXXVI

CONCLUSION


As soon as arrangements could be made, Mr. Harding and his whole family
removed to Philadelphia. The house which Mrs. Clifton had given them
exceeded their anticipations. It was so much better and larger than
their former dwelling that their furniture would have appeared to great
disadvantage in it. But Mrs. Clifton had foreseen this, and they found
the house already furnished for their reception. Even Aunt Rachel was
temporarily exhilarated in spirits when she was ushered into the neatly
furnished chamber which was assigned to her use.

Through Mrs. Clifton's influence the cooper was enabled to establish
himself in business on a larger scale, and employ others, instead of
working himself for hire. Ida was such a frequent visitor that it was
hard to tell which she considered her home--her mother's elegant
residence, or the cooper's comfortable dwelling.

Jack put his thousand dollars into a savings bank, to accumulate till he
should be ready to go into business for himself, and required it as
capital. A situation was found for him in a merchant's counting-room, and
in due time he was admitted into partnership and became a thriving young
merchant.

Ida grew lovelier as she grew older, and her rare beauty and attractive
manners caused her to be sought after. It may be that some of my readers
are expecting that she will marry Jack; but they will probably be
disappointed. They are too much like brother and sister for such a
relation to be thought of. Jack reminds her occasionally of the time
when she was his little ward, and he was her guardian and protector.

One day, as Rachel was walking up Chestnut Street, she was astonished by
a hearty grasp of the hand from a bronzed and weather-beaten stranger.

"Release me, sir," she said, hysterically. "What do you mean by such
conduct?"

"Surely you have not forgotten your old friend, Capt. Bowling," said the
stranger.

Rachel brightened up.

"I didn't remember you at first," she said, "but now I do."

"Now tell me, how are all your family?"

"They are all well, all except me--I don't think I am long for this
world."

"Oh, yes, you are. You are too young to think of leaving us yet," said
Capt. Bowling, heartily.

Rachel was gratified by this unusual compliment.

"Are you married?" asked Capt. Bowling, abruptly.

"I shall never marry," she said. "I shouldn't dare to trust my happiness
to a man."

"Not if I were that man?" said the captain, persuasively.

"Oh, Capt. Bowling!" murmured Rachel, agitated. "How can you say such
things?"

"I'll tell you why, Miss Harding. I'm going to give up the sea, and
settle down on land. I shall need a good, sensible wife, and if you'll
take me, I'll make you Mrs. Bowling at once."

"This is so unexpected, Capt. Bowling," said Rachel; but she did not
look displeased. "Do you think it would be proper to marry so suddenly?"

"It will be just the thing to do. Now, what do you say--yes or no."

"If you really think it will be right," faltered the agitated spinster.

"Then it's all settled?"

"What will Timothy say?"

"That you've done a sensible thing."

Two hours later, leaning on Capt. Bowling's arm, Mrs. Rachel Bowling
re-entered her brother's house.

"Why, Rachel, where have you been?" asked Mrs. Harding, and she looked
hard at Rachel's companion.

"This is my consort, Capt. Bowling," said Rachel, nervously.

"This is Mrs. Bowling, ma'am," said the captain.

"When were you married?" asked the cooper. It was dinner time, and both
he and Jack were at home.

"Only an hour ago. We'd have invited you, but time was pressing."

"I thought you never meant to be married, Aunt Rachel," said Jack,
mischievously.

"I--I don't expect to live long, and it won't make much difference,"
said Rachel.

"You'll have to consult me about that," said Capt. Bowling. "I don't
want you to leave me a widower too soon."

"I propose that we drink Mrs. Bowling's health," said Jack. "Can anybody
tell me why she's like a good ship?"

"Because she's got a good captain," said Mrs. Harding.

"That'll do, mother; but there's another reason--because she's well
manned."

Capt. Bowling evidently appreciated the joke, judging from his hearty
laughter. He added that it wouldn't be his fault if she wasn't well
rigged, too.

The marriage has turned out favorably. The captain looks upon his wife
as a superior woman, and Rachel herself has few fits of depression
nowadays. They have taken a small house near Mr. Harding's, and Rachel
takes no little pride in her snug and comfortable home.

One word more. At the close of her term of imprisonment, Peg came to
Mrs. Clifton and reminded her of her promise. Dick was dead, and she was
left alone in the world. Imprisonment had not hardened her, as it often
does. She had been redeemed by the kindness of those whom she had
injured. Mrs. Clifton found her a position, in which her energy and
administrative ability found fitting exercise, and she leads a laborious
and useful life in a community where her history is not known. As for
John Somerville, with the last remnants of a once handsome fortune, he
purchased a ticket to Australia, and set out on a voyage for that
distant country. But he never reached his destination. The vessel was
wrecked in a violent storm, and he was not among the four that were
saved. Henceforth Ida and her mother are far from his evil machinations,
and we may confidently hope for them a happy and peaceful life.


The next volume in this series will be SHIFTING FOR HIMSELF.