“Impossible!” exclaimed mother and son with one breath.
“Nothing is impossible with God. How often have I heard my father tell very much the same tale I have just listened to. Let me assure you that the letters of Jesse Montfort to his brother Charles are still in existence! They are preserved as a sacred legacy, together with a sworn statement of the main facts as we know them, in this remarkable case. Your uncle Charles married his rescuer’s daughter, and as is the custom among old English families where the name would become extinct upon the marriage of the only child—a daughter—he assumed the name of Withington in conjunction with his own. The United States Government was sued by Withington, Sr., and he recovered one hundred thousand dollars damages for Charles, but no trace of Jesse could be found. The money is held for him or his heirs by the Government. I can furnish you the necessary proof upon my return to England. Tell me not that the time of miracles has departed! Is not this a direct intervention of the hand of Providence that we, so widely separated, should at last become known to each other?”
He paused, overcome by emotion. Mrs. Smith wept quietly. Broken words of praise to God—of joy—of sorrow for the dead—of hope for the future—passed her lips from time to time. Ah! who can paint such a scene? Finally Mr. Withington embraced them both—his kinswoman and Will, his kinsman.
“Be assured that I shall bend every effort to prove this story, and spare no money to establish you in your rights.”
Then, unable longer to control his feelings, telling Will to join him in an hour at his hotel, he hastily left them.
Alone together the mother and son fell upon their knees to give thanks to God for his unspeakable goodness.
When Mr. Withington had thought over the story which had come to him so strangely, he was profoundly impressed with the inscrutable ways of God. How wonderful was the knowledge that he had been led by devious paths to find these humble relatives. By accident alone had it been accomplished. “No, not by accident,” he told himself, “but by the direct intervention of All-wise Justice.” So noble was the nature of this man that he never once thought of the possible ridicule that might come to him through his new kinspeople. He thought only of the tie of blood. When it was placed before him in this light by Will, his reply was characteristic of the man:
“At home it will not be noticed; the opinion of narrow-minded, prejudiced people here does not matter.”
Mr. Withington now spent long days with the Smiths. There was much to learn of the past history of each family. These were days of happiness to the newly found relatives—days fraught with wise lessons to himself. He was the best of friends with Dora; indeed, he was a man who inspired confidence and love. Very soon he was the recipient of the story of all her recent trials with John, and poor Will’s unhappy love episode. He approved Dora’s choice in Doctor Lewis, and had the latter’s promise to take her across to Europe at the earliest opportunity. For Will he had a strong man’s sympathy, and encouraged him to hope that all might yet be well. So potent was his hopefulness that Will brightened perceptibly and became more like his old ambitious self, to the great delight of his mother and sister.
He in his turn told them the story of Charles Montfort: How his benefactor had returned to America in the hope of finding and rescuing Jesse, after establishing the boys’ claim to the estate of their murdered father. He found that the child had disappeared, leaving no trace behind him. How Charles had rejoiced over the later discovery of his brother, and how he had grieved over the final estrangement. Then on the eve of his departure for America to personally search Jesse out, he was stricken with paralysis, and remained a helpless invalid until his death. Meantime the business of establishing the identity of the Smiths was going forward as swiftly as possible.
Mr. Withington communicated with his family lawyer, who came from England, bringing with him certain valuable papers bearing upon the case, engaged a leading firm of American lawyers to act in conjunction with the English lawyer, interviewed the authorities at Washington, and secured the services of one of the best detectives in the country to ferret out evidence to prove Jesse’s identity. Money flowed from his lavish hand, and all the legal machinery that was essential to prompt action was soon set in motion. One day Mr. Withington received a letter from the detective asking him to go to Bermuda and see an important witness. He started immediately upon receiving it, accompanied by Will Smith and his lawyer. A letter from Will to his mother after they had reached the island was filled with fresh surprises. What follows is an extract:
We have come across a wonderful coincidence. In hunting for evidence in Bermuda, the detective heard of an old woman—a centenarian—who was formerly a slave in North Carolina. We found her living with her daughter and granddaughter (both old women; the granddaughter is sixty); all of them were once slaves. The old woman’s mind is clouded on all subjects but one—the Montfort murder! She was an eyewitness of the atrocious crime. She lived for years as the mistress of Anson Pollock, and knew that he tracked Jesse to Boston, where he lost all trace of him. The day we visited her it was pathetic to hear her grieve over the children; one would
