"I was her nurse," said the other, quietly.
Mrs. Crump examined, anxiously, the hard features of the woman. It was a relief at least to know, though she could hardly have believed, that there was no tie of blood between her and Ida.
"Who were her parents?"
"I am not permitted to tell," was the reply.
Mrs. Crump looked disappointed.
"Surely," she said, with a sudden sinking of heart, "you have not come to take her away?"
"This letter will explain my object in visiting you," said the woman, drawing a sealed envelope from a bag which she carried on her arm.
The cooper"s wife nervously broke open the letter, and read as follows:--
"MRS. CRUMP;
"Eight years ago last New Year"s night, a child was left on your door-steps, with a note containing a request that you would care for it kindly as your own. Money was sent, at the same time, to defray the expenses of such care. The writer of this note is the mother of the child Ida. There is no need to say, here, why I sent the child away from me. You will easily understand that only the most imperative circ.u.mstances would have led me to such a step. Those circ.u.mstances still prevent me from reclaiming the child, and I am content, still, to leave Ida in your charge. Yet, there is one thing of which I am desirous. You will understand a mother"s desire to see, face to face, the child who belongs, of right, to her. With this view, I have come to this neighborhood. I will not say where, for concealment is necessary to me. I send this note by a trustworthy attendant,--Mrs. Hardwick, my little Ida"s nurse in her infancy,--who will conduct Ida to me, and return her again to you. Ida is not to know whom she is visiting. No doubt she believes you her mother, and it is well. Tell her only, that it is a lady who takes an interest in her, and that will satisfy her childish curiosity. I make this request as
"IDA"S MOTHER."
Mrs. Crump read this letter with mingled feelings. Pity for the writer; a vague curiosity in regard to the mysterious circ.u.mstances which had compelled her to resort to such a step; a half feeling of jealousy, that there should be one who had a claim to her dear adopted daughter superior to her own; and a strong feeling of relief at the a.s.surance that Ida was not to be permanently removed,--all these feelings affected the cooper"s wife.
"So you were Ida"s nurse," she said, gently.
"Yes, ma"am," said the stranger. "I hope the dear child is well."
"Perfectly well. How much her mother must have suffered from the separation!"
"Indeed, you may say so, ma"am. It came near to break her heart."
"So it must," said sympathizing Mrs. Crump. "There is one thing I would like to ask," she continued, hesitating and reddening. "Don"t answer it unless you please. Was--is Ida the child of shame?"
"She is not," answered the nurse.
Mrs. Crump looked relieved. It removed a thought from her mind which would now and then intrude, though it had never, for an instant, lessened her affection for the child.
At this point in the conversation, the cooper entered the house. He had just come home on an errand.
"It is my husband," said Mrs. Crump, turning to her visitor, by way of explanation. "Timothy, will you come in a moment?"
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."
"My wife is quite right," said the cooper; "we must insist upon your stopping with us."
The nurse hesitated, and looked irresolute. It was plain she would have preferred to be elsewhere, but a remark which Mrs. Crump made, decided her to accept the invitation.
It was this. "You know, Mrs. Hardwick, if Ida is to go with you, she ought to have a little chance to get acquainted with you before you go."
"I will accept your kind invitation," she said; "but I am afraid I shall be in your way."