As the two last words recorded in the preceding chapter fell from the supposed stranger’s lips, all present except Kent started to their feet confounded—they stood and looked at him as if spell-bound by some supernatural power. Yes, they stood gazing intently in the young stranger’s face. He returned the gaze with interest while a bright smile of satisfaction rested on his face.

“You, William G. Reed? Impossible!” said Sowers as soon as he could find voice to speak.

“I would not swear that is my right name,” said the stranger. “But I’ll declare that is the name I have always been known by.”

“You are our Willie then?” said Mattie.

“I am, Miss Mattie. I am the so-called son of Wilse Reed,” said the young man. “Ella dear, I hope you will acknowledge me now as the one you promised to love forever?” continued he, turning to Ella.

“Oh Willie, will you—can you forgive me?” was all Ella could say as she stood at a good distance from him.

“Forgive you for what? I have nothing to forgive you for,” said William, for it was really he. “All I ask is for you to come to me. I am longing to press you to my breast.” With a cry of joy, Ella ran forward and fairly fell into the young man’s arms.

“Forgive me, Ella, for not writing to you,” murmured the young man as [he] kissed her and pressed her to his heart passionately. They were united now—they were determined nothing would part them evermore. They sat down on the bench to talk about their trials and their longing to see one another. William turned and looked at the Ash Hollow gentleman.

“Albert King, you have tried to do me a great deal of injury, but I forgive you,” said William to the Ash Hollow gentleman. The Ash Hollow gentleman was Albert King, and as he heard Willie’s words, he rose and ran down through the yard and out across the meadow as if from deadly pursuit.

“Well, he is gone now, and Mr. Kent has been looking for him for so long,” said Ella.

“Mr. Kent been looking for him?” asked Willie, his face showing an expression of great surprise. “Mr. Kent,” continued he, “how came you to be looking for him when he was here all the time?”

“I didn’t know it was him,” replied Kent. “But none of you have welcomed this young man to your home,” added Kent, turning to the host.

All the family then welcomed William to his as well as their home.

“We are all glad—very glad—to see you,” said Mattie, and then came Herbert.

“William, please forgive my hasty words,” said Herbert, holding out his hand, which Willie grasped warmly:

“I forgive you,” said Willie. “If you have done anything to wrong me, I forgive you. But I don’t know of anything you have done. As for your hasty words, I didn’t hardly hear them. So don’t talk about forgiveness, friend Herbert.”

Hugh Walters then came forward and said he as he extended his hand:

“I am very glad to see you, friend Willie. I hope you will not discard my friendship for making such fun of you this morning.”

“Don’t mention it, Hugh,” said Willie as he shook his friend’s hand warmly. Wilse Reed was there, but he did not seem to be very glad of his son’s (?) return.

“How are you, governor? And how have you been?” inquired Willie, turning to and addressing his father (?). Wilse walked forward and extended his hand to his son.

“I am well and have been well,” said he. “And I believe you are and have been well.”

“Yes sir, I have been well ever since I went away, and I am thankful to say, I have made good use of my time.”

“Willie, we want you to tell us your story,” said Mattie. “We are all very anxious to hear.”

“I want to hear from Al King first,” said Willie. “I am sorry—very sorry—that Albert turned out to be such a bad man.”

“Yes, we are all sorry for him since we found him out—poor fellow,” said Mattie sympathizingly. “Oh Willie, you have never dreamed how bad Albert King has turned out to be.”

“Well, tell me all about it,” said William.

“To begin at the beginning: Albert King had not been seen since you went away,” said Ella, thinking it proper for her to tell the story. “Of course, we have been nursing him for two months, but we didn’t know it.”

“I knew it all the time,” said Kent. “I hope you will excuse me for interrupting you, but I must correct all errors that I can. I thought he was Albert, but you all said he was Willie.”

“Yes, by the name on the shirt,” said. Ella. “But, to go on with my story: you went away on Monday. Well, Monday night Mattie was stabbed by some person. We think it must have been Al King.” Ella looked around to see if Wilse Reed was near. He was not, and she continued: “Accordingly, Mr. Sowers sent for a detective. Mr. Kent, there, came and has been here ever since. But by our erring, he has not been able to get Albert yet. Someone also shot through the window on Tuesday night. Who it was and where they came from, I am not able to say.

“So time wore on. And on the first of July, Albert King was found in Ash Hollow. We all said he was Al until I saw the name on the shirt—It was your name. Well, we all said he was Willie after that. And so we continued to believe, until you came and forced us to believe different. I can show you the shirt now if you wish to see it—and the suit of clothes too. He had them on this morning, but he got them off about half an hour ago. I am willing to—well, I declare the clothes to be those you had made just before your departure. Shall I get them?”

“Yes, dear, get them, for my curiosity is up to the highest pitch,” assented Willie. Ella ran upstairs to get them, and while she was gone Mr. Sowers said:

“We have started for the Springs twice, William, but we have got stopped both times. I don’t think I shall start again, for I will settle up business and leave. I have sold my farm and mill, William. I sold it yesterday. I am going back to New England soon.”

“Have you sold out? And are you going to New England? Well, I am glad to hear it,” said Willie. “I am willing to go with you.”

Ella had returned with the clothes by this time, and she sat down by William[’s] side and showed him the name on the shirt.

“Now, I know that shirt by its look, for Mrs. Sowers made it for you,” said Ella.

“Yes, that is the shirt and those are the other clothes that were stolen out of my trunk the Sunday before I went away,” asserted William confidentially.

“Was stolen! When did you say they were stolen?” inquired Ella. “You didn’t say anything about it, Willie. Or did you not find it out until you came home that evening?” added Ella inquiringly.

“I didn’t find out until I got back that evening, and I thought I wouldn’t say anything to anyone about it,” answered Willie. “Little did I think Al King had become so low to steal my clothes, but I freely forgive him for all he done.”

“Well, I must go over to the mill,” said Hugh, as he rose to go. “William, you must come over as soon as you can leave your lady-love,” added he jokingly. “I am cleaning everything up over there as we are all going to our old home—Boston, Massachusetts.”

“You going too? Why, if I had not got back as soon as I did I would have found myself in a strange land, to use an expressive phrase,” said William.

After Hugh had gone to the mill, Sowers said: “William, your father don’t seem to be glad you have come. How is that?”

“My father? I just tell you, Mr. Sowers, I don’t half believe he is my father,” said Willie. “I believe I am someone else’s son. That is my belief.”

At hearing this, Sowers paled a little. But he soon “manned” himself, to use an expressive phrase. He laughed heartily:

“Why, you are just like him, only you are younger, of course. You might say that, but the very idea is preposterous.”

“Preposterous as it may seem to you, I believe it to be true. I believe I am not Wilson Reed’s son,” said the young man.

“All right, my man. Everybody to their own belief,” assented Sowers. “But if you take my advice, you will banish all such thoughts from your mind entirely,” commented Sowers. “I suppose you have been picturing to yourself how nice it would be if you were to turn out and prove to be a millionaire’s son. You have been building air-castles, have you not?”

“No sir, I have not,” replied Willie stiffly. “If my true parents were as poor as the peasants of Europe, I would gladly acknowledge them, for I want a mother and father’s love.”

“You would make a capital actor,” commented Sowers, “a capital actor indeed!”

There was no one on the porch at this particular time, so Willie ventured to say:

“Well, Mr. Sowers, you are acting very suspicious. If there was any mystery about my parentage, you are acting as if you wanted to hide it. That is plain talk, Mr. Sowers.”

“Yes, very plain indeed,” was all Sowers could manage to say as he rose to leave the porch. Ella soon came back.

“Ella dear, I do wish we could get married at once,” said William as she took a seat beside him. “But I am still hoping I will yet find a name by which I shall be able to marry you in honor.”

“A name is of very little consequence, dear, dear Willie. Our love will be able to stand all consequences whatever,” said Ella as she kissed her betrothed.

“Willie, I would have made you jealous if you had seen me hugging and kissing Albert King. I forgot to tell you, he propose[d] and I rejected him on the evening of the twenty-eighth of March.”

“Did he propose to you, my dearest?” inquired William in astonishment. “I could have told him he would be rejected. Well, he has been doing well since I left. No wonder he got hurt, for I expect he was at the time engaged in a plot against me. He treated me real mean.”

“Yes, he did so. He is a rascal, Willie, and I am afraid he will do you harm yet.”

“I hope he will not try such a thing. It will not prove to be a healthy undertaking if I catch him at it.”

“Well, you must always be on your guard, dearest, for he might try to do you harm.”

“I shall do so, but I’ll bet anything Albert King will repent his evil works, and that pretty soon. He had a five months’ run of it and he must be getting tired. How does his mother take it? Pretty bad? I guess she thinks he had gone west to seek his fortune.”

“Yes, she has a right hard time of it,” said Ella. They talked on different topics until dinner was ready, then they went in to dinner. William was very popular with the colored people, so of course he had a talk with them.

Herbert Armstead was there to dinner. He seemed never to tire of staying there since that happy episode in his life when Mattie had promised to love him.

Dinner being over, all of the family went out on the porch to hear William’s story. “Now Willie, tell us your story, won’t you? We have told you of all the current events,” said Ella.

“All right, Ella, I will begin with my poor story at once,” said William. “Listen attentively, all present.”