"Uncle Billy! oh, Uncle Billy! what do you think?"
"Why, Ralph, lad, is that yo'? I mus' 'a' been asleep. Whaur ye been,
eh?"
"W'y don't you 'member? I went to Lawyer Sharpman's office."
"True for ye, so ye did. I forgot; an' did ye--"
"Oh, Uncle Billy! what _do_ you think? Guess who I am; guess!"
"Why, lad, don't frighten a mon like that. Ye'll wake the neeborhood.
Who be ye, then?"
"Guess! guess! Oh, you'd never guess! I'm Ralph Burnham; I'm Mrs.
Burnham's son!"
Bachelor Billy's hands dropped lifelessly to his knees, his mouth and
eyes came wide open with unfeigned astonishment, and, for the moment,
he was speechless. Finally he found breath to exclaim: "Why, Ralph,
lad; Ralph, ye're crazy,--or a-jokin'! Don't joke wi' a mon that way,
Ralph; it ain't richt!"
"No, but, Uncle Billy, it's true; it's all true! Ain't it splendid?"
"Be ye sure o' that, Ralph? be ye sure o' it?"
"Oh! they ain't no mistake about it; they couldn't be."
"Well, the guid Lord save ye, lad!" and Billy looked the boy over
carefully from head to foot, apparently to see if he had undergone any
change during his absence. Then he continued: "Coom, sit ye, then; sit
ye, an' tell us aboot it a'; how happenit it, eh?"
Again they drew their chairs up before the replenished fire, and Ralph
gave a full account of all that had occurred at the lawyer's office.
By virtue of his own faith he inspired Bachelor Billy with equal
confidence in the truth of the story; and, by virtue of his own
enthusiasm, he kindled a blaze of enthusiasm in the man's heart that
glowed with hardly less of brightness than that in his own.
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