Mr. Crump regarded his wife’s visitor with some surprise.  His wife hastened to introduce her as Mrs. Hardwick, Ida’s nurse, and handed to the astonished cooper the letter which the latter had brought with her.

He was not a rapid reader, and it took him some time to get through the letter.  He laid it down on his knee, and looked thoughtful.  The nurse regarded him with a slight uneasiness.

“This is, indeed, unexpected,” he said, at last.  “It is a new development in Ida’s history.  May I ask, Mrs. Hardwick, if you have any further proof.  I want to be prudent with a child that I love as my own,—­if you have any further proof that you are what you claim to be?”

“I judged that this letter would be sufficient,” said the nurse; moving a little in her chair.

“True; but how can we be sure that the writer is Ida’s mother?”

“The tone of the letter, sir.  Would anybody else write like that?”

“Then you have read the letter?” said the cooper, quickly.

“It was read to me, before I set out.”

“By——­”

“By Ida’s mother.  I do not blame you for your caution,” she continued.  “You must be so interested in the happiness of the dear child of whom you have taken such (sic) excelent care, I don’t mind telling you that I was the one who left her at your door eight years ago, and that I never left the neighborhood until I found that you had taken her in.”

“And it was this, that enabled you to find the house, to-day.”

“You forget,” said the nurse, “that you were not then living in this house, but in another, some rods off, on the left-hand side of the street.”

“You are right,” said the cooper.  “I am disposed to believe in the genuineness of your claim.  You must pardon my testing you in such a manner, but I was not willing to yield up Ida, even for a little time, without feeling confident of the hands she was falling into.”

“You are right,” said the nurse.  “I don’t blame you in the least.  I shall report it to Ida’s mother, as a proof of your attachment to your child.”

“When do you wish Ida to go with you?” asked Mrs. Crump.

“Can you let her go this afternoon?”

“Why,” said Mrs. Crump, hesitating, “I should like to have a chance to wash out some clothes for her.  I want her to appear as neat a possible, when she meets her mother.”

The nurse hesitated.

“I do not wish to hurry you.  If you will let me know when she will be ready, I will call for her.”

“I think I can get her ready early to-morrow morning.”

“That will answer excellently.  I will call for her then.”

The nurse rose, and gathered her shawl about her.

“Where are you going, Mrs. Hardwick?” asked the cooper’s wife.

“To a hotel,” was the reply.

“We cannot allow that,” said Mrs. Crump, kindly.  “It is a pity if we cannot accommodate Ida’s old nurse for one night, or ten times as long, for that matter.”