Year: 1875

looked down in surprise upon the
little girl that was standing beside my
friends knee; for though this was our
first meeting after a separation of some
years, had supposed him to be child
less.


She had entered the room SO noise
lessly that until she spoke, neither of
us had been conscious Of her presence.
|. "Good night, my daughter" !" said my
host, a smile of infinite tenderness
softening bis rather stern features, and
holding out his arms as he spoke.


The child sprang quickly to the
shelter of the broad breast, laying her
soft cheek lovingly against his.


AS he held her thus, stroking as ten
derly as mother might, the shining
hair that mingled with his own jetty
locks, thought that l had never seen
a prettier picture.


She was in form so petite, with fea-
lures almost infantile in their delicacy
of outline, he SO strong and stately !;
her complexion was exquisitely fair,
and her eyes of the softest blue, while
bis we're dark and piercing, and his
face bronzed by exposure to the sun
and incidental to his adventurous life.
A matronly looking woman opened
the door, pausing upon the threshold
as if reluctant to disturb them.
As soon as my friend observed her,
he arose, and blessing the child with a
solemnity and tenderness had never
witnessed in him before, dismissed her.


"Not your daughterf" said as soon
as we we're left alone.


"No; but / could not love her bet
ter if she was. She is the most pre-
cious of all my earthly possessions, as
well she might be. My darling little
Kathiel she saved my life"
What that slender, delicate
1childfe kzf


eyes; and when sM. wa. smaller
and youngen.than she is now"


II will tell you how it was, "eadded
my friend, replying more to the eager
inquiry in my eyes, rather than to
anything had said, at is not long
story"


| And pushing toward me cut glass
dish, of some quaint and curious pat
tern, filled with heavy clusters OF
grapes, my host settled himself back
in his easy chair, and commenced as
follows:


About two years ago, important
business called me to A, in the
western part of Canada. Partly be-
cause was more accustomed to that
kind of locomotion, and partly be-
cause public conveyances in that Sec
tion of the country were slow and un.
certain, l started on horseback.


l had been out about fortnight on
my way, and was beginning to con.
gratulate myself that ] must be near
the termination of my journey.


1t was near sundown, and the sky
began to look as if storm was brew.
ing. / had ridden many hours through
q rude, thinly settled country, and be-
gan to look anxiously around for some
human habitatious 1t was, therefore
with feeling of relief, that l saw, O
few rods ahead Of me, what seemed to
be public house. 1t was so long
since had seen one that, in spite of its
dark, dreary appearance, it had q
pleasant look to me.


There were neither trees nor any
signs of vegetation around the house,
in front of which crazy looking sign
was creaking in the wind that was ris
ing. and upon which could be seer a
few letters of what was evidently once
-"Entertainment for Man and Beast
now nearly effaced by the weather.


As ] rode to the door, / saw a stout,
middle aged man sitting upon the rude
porch, cleaning gun.


"Good evening, FRIEND" / said.
"Can you tell me how far it is. to the
village of A." .


The man gave me quick, compre-
bensive glance, and then dropped his
eyes.


at is a matter of eight miles," he
replied; 'just beyond Black Forest,
the edge OF which you can see from
here"


"You had better not attempt it to-
night" he added, as he saw l was hes
itating as to whether had better stop
or push ahead, now that l was so near
my journeys end. There's a storm
coming up; beside good many trav-
elers have been robbed in Black For
est lately"


IL believe l won't risk it them"
said; "For have that about me that
l should not care to lose"


l recalled afterwards, the sudden
Frightening of the landlords eyes as /
said this, but it was so brief that it
made little impression on me at the