Year: 1877

A lonely country road, with the night
closing upon it; the sun set and the sky
black, and white streaks where he had
been; the color gone from all the earth,
even from the many tinted naples and
sumacs that an hour before had famed
in their October brilliancy; the air frosty
and fresh-just the night to go bowling
swiftly home in light wagon over a
well graded road, with the prospect of Il
bright fire and hot supper at the end of
the journey.


Mrs. Cuthbert wished that her hus-
band would come "bowling home," as
she lighted the lamp and placed it in the
center of the pretty tea table, 50 dis
tinctly set forth with her wedding glass
and silver; the supper would not be fit
to eat If he were much later, and Mrs
Cuthbert was too conscientious house.
wife not to feel alarmed at the idea of
her good things being spoiled, but, like
the even tempered little woman she was,
she only put an extra stick on the
wood fire cracking on the hearth, and
settled in her favorite arm chair, with
her sewing to keep her hands busy,
while her ears were on the alert for her
husbands step, or a cry from the baby
up stairs.


She was quite alone, it being one of
those periods that so often befall Ameri-
can housekeepers, when the "help" has
taken it into her head to depart without
waiting for successor to be appointed.
The fire snapped and blazed, the
clock licked on, and all was quiet. But
If Mrs. Cuthbert had CHANGED to look
up, she might have seen face pressed
close against the window pane-an ugly
face with a rough beard and tangled
hair, broken nose that looked most
uuprepossessing aattened on the glass,
and eyes that CLEANED greedily at the
silver on the table-but she did not, and
all was quiet.


The clock struck seven, and Mrs
Cuthbert started, surprised and dis
tressed. She forgot about the supper
frizzliDg away to nothing in the oven
and began to worry about her husband
it was such a lonely walk, if it wa
only two miles, and she did wish HI
would come.


Footsteps on the front porch sent he
fears to the winds, and spirit of mis-
chief took possession of her in thei
stead; the door was locked, and sh,
would make him wait few minutes t,
pay him out for making her wait e,
long.


She bent her head and pretended no
TO notice, even when she heard the step
descend from the porch and tramp owe
the grass to the window.


The sash was violently thrown uE
and the ugly face that had been regard
ing her a short time before was thru;
into the room, and a fierce voice d,
manded:


"Why don't yer come and open til
door for me p


Mrs. Cuthbert nodded her prett
head, and without turning round al
swered saucily:


No, sir, 1 don't mean to let you
tonight"


The ugly face looked thunderstruc
then frightened, and finally two grin
paws clutched the window, shutting
with a crash that made the glass
quiyer, and the ugly face was gone.


"Oh, dear! now he's angry-I alwa
do carry my fun too far" cried M
Cuthbert, springing from her chair al
rushing into the hall.


"Georgel Georgep


She turned the lock.


"Georgep


The porch was empty, but she caue
sight of dark figure hurrying up I
path to the barn.


ooh, you're not going to hide fir
me in that way, sir" she called o
running down the steps and on tow
the barn.


The dark figure was swallowed up
the great black doorway before
reached il.


"Oh, you great goose p she s
standing on the threshold, "don't y
suppose / can find you? You had bet
give yourself up at once"


Then she waited. The dark fig
crouched still closer behind the old {
riage, and there was no answer.


"I shall find you, sir know ev
corner" she gave warning then, W
arms stretched out before her, cc
menced the search. In and out amt
the barrels and boxes she went in
utter blackness, calling out merrily L