This second step towards unravelling his missing brother’s fate pleased Joe so well that before another hour had rolled around he was aboard a train bound for Buena Vista to continue the search there.  At day break he arrived at this pretty mountain city and hired a livery rig and drove to the reformatory, situated upon the outskirts of Buena Vista.  Here he called at the warden’s office, and after stating his errand, again old records were searched, which showed that James McDonald had been received at the institution, but on account of exemplary behavior had soon after his arrival been paroled into the care of a rancher named Holmes.  Then the warden recalled the case and explained to him that Jim not only had become Mr. Holmes’ son-in-law by marrying his daughter, but that he was the proud father of a son and a daughter and was considered a respected member of the community.  He also advised Joe to drive to Mr. Holmes’ ranch, as it was only about ten miles down the valley.

It was almost dinner time when Joe arrived at Mr. Holmes’ handsome home, and when he saw a man standing at the gate as he approached, he immediately knew that it was his long lost brother, as he still resembled Joe, as much as in the past.

“Jim,” cried Joe, as he swung himself from the buggy, and “Brother Joe,” came back the prompt reply, and then with tears of joy streaming from their eyes they embraced each other, and after their affectionate greeting they repaired to a nearby bench, and while holding his at-last-found brother’s hands Joe remarked, not aware that his brother did not know that their mother and their eldest brother Donald had disappeared in Canada, a land almost as large as the United States:  “Brother Jim, there is just one thing in this world that would add to our happiness and that is, I wish our mother were here to join us at this happy reunion,” but hardly had he finished when Jim replied:  “Joe, now that we have at last found each other, let us do what for so many years I have promised my wife and babies, should the good Lord answer my prayers and permit me to meet you again, and travel to Rugby and surprise our mother and plead for her forgiveness before she has passed from among the mortals, as she has no doubt suffered untold anguish in all the weary years since we ran away, as I have not dared during all this time to visit her nor write to her until I was assured that you were still among the living.”

[Illustration:  “Jim”, cried Joe, as he swung himself from the buggy, and “Brother Joe” came back the prompt reply, and then with tears of joy streaming down their faces the reunited brothers embraced each other.]

Joe merely nodded his head as if assenting, as he did not wish to spoil his brother’s gladness at this moment by telling of the fateful letter across the face of which was written:  “Moved to Canada.  Present address unknown,” nor of the many official letters he had in his trunk from the Governor of every Canadian Province and many other officials, all of whom had searched in vain for their missing mother, and, too, he recalled those long hours of fearful remorse behind the locked door of his room, and decided to withhold this knowledge from his brother as well he realized that it would cause heart wounds which would require years to heal.