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 a
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, SO 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 copscientious 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 fayerite armchair, with
her sewing to keep her hands busy,
while her ears were on the alert for her
husbands step, or 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 ticked on, and all was quiet. But
if Mrs. Cuthbert had chanced to look
up, she might have seen face pressed
close against the window pane-an ugly
face with rough beard and tangled
hair, broken nose that looked most
unprepossessing fattened 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 lonely walk, if it was
only two miles, and she did wish he
would come.


Footsteps on the front porch sent her
fears to the winds, and a spirit of mis-
chief took possession of her in their
stead; the door was locked, and she
would make him wait few minutes TO
pay him out for making her wait so
long.


She bent her head and pretended not
to notice, even when she heard the steps
descend from the porch and tramp over
the grass to the windcw.


The sash was violently thrown up,
aud the ugly face that had been regard
ing her a short time before was thrust
into the room, and fierce voice de-
manded:


"Why don't yer come and open the
door for mef'


Mrs. Cuthbert nodded her pretty
head, and without turning round an
swered saucily:


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


The ugly face looked thunderstruck,
then frightened, and finally two grimy
paws clutched the window, shutting ii
with crash that made the glasses
culver, and the ugly face was gone.


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


"Georgel Georgep


She turned tie lock.


"Georgew


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


"Oh, you're not going to hide from
me in that way, sir" she called out
/. running down the steps and on towar,
= the barn.


The dark figure was swallowed up i
the great black doorway before sh
reached it.


" Oh, you great goosep she sal
standing on the threshold, "don't yo1
suppose 1 can find your You had bette
give yourself up at once"


Then she waited. The dark fgur



crouched still closer behind the old cal
riage, and there was no answer.


II shall find you, sir know ever
corner" she gave warning then, wit
arms stretched out before her, CON
menced the search. In and out anon
the barrels and boxes she went in tn
utter blackness, calling out merrily no,