Year: 1864

There's many youngster at five-and
twenty not half what am at sixty-sey
en- quoth the colonel grimly, as he toss
ed aloit bis brawny arm. Il should be


devil of a catch for some designing jade
| should. No; that would be worst @
ALL


In short, the chances for comfort il
engaging housekeeper were terribl
hazardous and dead against the colonel
Whether he was wept at or married, tb
result would be equally fatal to his hap
piness.


And what can | do with woman tha
don't suit me ? pondered Colonel Stark
Not wha, | should if we were in India
There / should have a kbansamaun t
look after the house; and if be didn't d.
bis duty, he'd be tied up to the halberds
and the drummer being laying on fifty
before the niger could squeak Jack Rob
inson. But what are you to do with {
woman ?


And the colonel groaned again in utter
perpiexity of spirit. Suddenly, brigh
idea flashed across him-his daughter
Lefty! Why, she was the very thing
open to none Of the objections that had
troubled him, bis own child, who would
naturally look after her old fathers com
fort-here the colonel grew pathetic
and smooth the passage of the few re
manning years he yet might have to live
Besides, there was economy in this ar
rangement For eight or ten years he
had been investing capital in his daugh-
ter's education she should now repay
the outlay with interest by her affection
and care. So Lefty Stark, aged seven
teen, was brought home from school TO
superintend her fathers household.


There was one peculiar feature in Col.
Stark character which rendered him a
very difficult man to agree witb-this
was mistrust. The author OF bis own
fortunes, compelled from early youth to
keep watchful eye upon his interests
and expenditure, the habit had decreased
with age to universal suspicion. lie may
have had cause. A long experience OF
men in an arduous profession has taught
me that the majority will swindle you if
they can. don't mean to say that there
are not exceptions, but there being such
only proves the correctness of the rule.
Never give any one an opportunity TO
get the advantage Of you, and you will
be spared many vexations and much loss
This is my candid opinion as profess
ional man. should charge a stranger
six and -eightpence for the advice but l

give it you, reader, io- "othing'


Still. there 90 limits to all things. Col
STARK ssepped over The limits, and dis
trusted everybody without distinction
His causeless jealousy poisoned his wife'S
existence. Meanings and intentions of
which the poor lady was entirely inno-
cent were attributed to all her words and
actions, until, she being of frail and ner.
vously susceptible organization, the colo
mel positively worried and suspected her
into the grave. Nor did he entertain a
more favorable opinion of her daughter
or of the sex in general.


Cats. SIR be would designate those
delightful creatures-'cats, nothing more.
Always trying to dip their whiskers in
forbidden cream, and purring meekly
about you, to make you believe em hon.
est


Coupled with universal distrust, the
colonel entertained another unpleasant
persuasion-this was, that all the world
had entered into a conspiracy TO hood
wink-or, as he expressed it, TO do
him upon every possible occasion, which
naturally begat strong determination
upon his part never to be done. Suc>
cessful evasion of various artful snares
had produced its necessary consequence,
an overweening trust in his own sagacity
and clearness of sight so that | verify
believe there did not march up and down
upon the earth's surface more self'con-
fident and conceited individual than he.


Now, at the time Lefty Stark came to
live at the Ferns, l, Caleb Stutely, was
articled TO my uncle Ferril, solicitor in
large practice at Bayfield,, and the pro-
fessional adviser of many of the county
families round the town. He had acted
as the colonel's agent for years. To his
care Lefty had been consigned upon her
mothers death in India by him she had
been placed at the same school with my
sister Grace, now in London, married /;
in his house the giIls had always spent
their holidays; and the inevitable con-
sequence of all this was, though both OF
us we're children in the eyes of our saga
cious elders, Lefty Stark and were old
and intimate friends indeed.


At what precise period of my acquain-