Year: 1868

t the date at which our story CONNER
] ces Now it was no unusual thing to
: him to dine, still less to smoke or rea
! after that, but TO lay down paper c
cigar until either was quite fnishe
5 was unusual. So Mrs. May, littl
stouter and more matronly ,han1 IN tha
by gone time, looked up, and her fran
: brown eyes propounded an inquiry, an
Lilly glanced up from her book an
t forgot the thread of the story therein
contained, and thought to herself tha
her father, albeit his hair was iron gra..
and his form q trifle bent, was mucl
handsomer than the adorable Don Lou
!, is Extravada of the novelist. Anothe
Whit of the cigar, and he rose, turneC


his back to the fire, and announced, I"


am going to INFLOW to morrow. l have


heard a great deal to make me uneasy


the mill is badly managed /; the &C


counts are unsatisfactory !; 1 am afrait


II C operatives are not fairly managed


and l did net like Gilbert's manne


when questioned him about it whcr


he was here last week. l thought hin


a very trustworthy young man when


sent him up there butt don't know.


"But. Harman, it is SO cold and


snowy" began his wife but he ans


wered quickly.


"Can't help it 1 never put anything


off, you know" she dropped her eyes


for she remembered the lesson on that


precept, and smilel, wondering mean


while if he intended the reproof.


"Oh, father, may 1 go too p, pleaded


Lilly, ''to improve in skating, you


know : oh, l should enjoy it so much,


and Furnace Pond would be splendid
| Carrie Wyman wrote me to come out
sometime in the winter )" and her face


was all aglOw with excitement as she
coaxcd, holding fast to her fItLer's


button as pertinaciously as ever an Of,
! fice-seeker did TIE like by member Of
the House.


"Nonsense, child you would freeze
to death l' was the first answer 40 her
request ; and the last was, "Well, we'll,
if mother says yes, you may go; ten
o'clock to morrow, no delay for trunks
and founses to be packed. Skates and
ready, warm cloak and hood all you
need. No conquests to be made at
INFLOW, 1 warrant and thus it was
arranged, and the evening of the next
day saw them safely at their destination,
and Liily's dreams were full of visions
of skating like bird, with Carrie Wy
man pleasant laughter for music.
The Wymans were old friends, and
the reunion was very delightful to oh,
and Lilly hoped that the business
would not be adjusted very soon. So
with those dreams and hopes passed
the first night.


There was considerable confusion in
her ideas when she awoke in the morn
ing as to whore she was, who she was,
and what was the meaning of the mill
bell ringing so early, instead of the
noise of vehicles rolling by and the
milkman's shrill yell, which sounds sa :
luted her waking ears in her city home.
Then the sunshine came peeping in at
the window by her bedside, and, lean
ing on her elbow, she saw the bright,
beautiful country snow scene-the
glittering rime on every bush, the very
roads white and pure and far off the
shining ice OF Furnace Pond


The breakfast-and away the two
girls started for walk on the hard
snow, to plan out walks and sleigh rides
and skating parties innumerable and
Mr. May to The counting: oom of the
mill, where no sign of life betokened
the faithful ageut who was supposed to
be there on all occasions. The said
young gentleman was at that moment
just about arraying himself for hunt
ing expedition, after which he propos-
ed to hire a team and proceed to the
next town for pleasure excursion, and
settle all bills out of the money depos-
tied in his hands for the purchase of
wool and for the payment of the few
hands engaged in some minor opera
tions during the stoppage of the big
wheel, which was now fast fettered by
the thick ice. The knowledge of
all this came to Mr.: May by slow de
grees, and it was not until the last mo-
ment that he wonld yield to the convic.
ton of Gilbert's dishonesty, for Har-
man was slow to believe evil of any one.
The polished manner and winning ad
dress of his agent had blinded him too
long to his real character, and even yet
he received the excuse of the recreant
with a tolerable good grace, resolving
to wait the revelations that should be
made. At Mr.. Wayman's instigation
he had put the books in the hands of
young man who was in his employ as
lawyers clerk-a student of rare tai
ents and unblemished character, shy
and poor, but proud and ambitious -
Mr. May had seen him twice on the
village street, and Carrie had often met
him on the ice, for this recreation was
his only one. He was famous skater,
and on the loncliest part of Furnace
Pend he might be seen in the last glow
of the winter afternoon gliding hither
and thither like a swollow


It was the third day of their stay
that Harman May and his old friend
Lewis Wayman bent thei1 steps to the
distant spot where the bright-hued gar
meuts and ringing laughter alike di
rected the eye and car where all the
lads and lasses were frolicking so mar
rily. There was the village beauty,
Grace Taylor, in her close pelisse and
flying ringlets (; Bessy Tower, petite and
graceful and host besides for the
INFLOW girls were most accomplished |
in this merry sport, and their attendant
beaux found it an exciting race to over
take them. Lilly had considered her
self quite skater on the Central Park |
pond-her feet were shod in the most
artistic manner, but still these village
pirls would outdo her With hnr