She told them that its mother and father were both burned, and she begged and implored them to come after it.
"You'd think that would have melted a heart of ice, but that old man hadn't any heart to melt, for he got that letter and read it.

He hid it away among his papers and never told a soul.

A few months ago he died.
When his elder son went to settle his business, he found the letter almost the first thing.

He dropped everything, and came, with his wife, to hunt that baby, because he always had loved his brother dearly, and wanted him back.

He had hunted for him all he dared all these years, but when he got here you were gone--I mean the baby was gone, and I had to tell you, Freckles, for you see, it might have happened to you like that just as easy as to that other lost boy." Freckles reached up and turned the Angel's face until he compelled her eyes to meet his.
"Angel," he asked quietly, "why don't you look at me when you are telling about that lost boy ?" "I--I didn't know I wasn't," faltered the Angel.
"It seems to me," said Freckles, his breath beginning to come in sharp wheezes, "that you got us rather mixed, and it ain't like you to be mixing things till one can't be knowing.