Year: 1870

and Ill moment he was Off boundinp
through the low open window and running
with feet steps down the sidewalk toward
the common.


The family circle thus divided was that
of the cashier of the Blue River National
Bank of Elmfield. Foster Houghton was n
man past middle age, and older than his
years i'll appearance and in heart. He had
petted his only son in his childhood enough
to spoil most boys, aud now made the bal
ance even by repressing the cxuberance of
his youth with a sharpness sometimes no
more than just, sometimes querulous and
unreasonable. The boys grandfather, old
Peleg Houghton, who died year before at
ninety and over, had almost worshipped
him, and on his deathbed had presented his
own superb Frodscham watch to the lad;-
and both father and mother knew he must
be deeply moved to speak so lightly of part
ing with it.


81 fear Henry is getting in a very bad
way" said Mr.. Houghton gloomily, after
pause in which the sharper click ofhis wife's
needles told that her thoughts were busy.
He goes to the other church too often to
begin with. He smokes, after have re-
peatedly told him how the habit hurt me in
my boyhood, and what fight I had to
break it off He is altogether too much in
Harrison Fry's company. He has been
twice before i'll Tinborough, driving home
across country in the gray of the morning.
And this project of going alone on weeks
trip to Lake George is positively ridicu-
lous.


every likely you are the best Judge, my
dear" said Mrs. Houghton. She always
began in that way when she meant to prove
him otherwise. 81 fully agree with you in
regard to that reckless young Fry. But as
to Harry's going to the Brown church,
and his visits to Tinborough, think the
same cause is at the bottom of both. Grace
Chamberlain has been singing in the choir
over there, this spring, and now she is visit
ing her aunt at Tinborough. And as to that,
she is going with her aunt's family to Lake
George to spend July, and I suppose they
have expressed wish to meet him there
Grace Chamberlain is very pretty girl. you
know, and Harry is like what you were at
his age"


"Bless my soul, Mary" said the cashier,
g then why didn't the boy tell me what he
was driving at? Chasing across the coun
try after pretty face is foolish enough, at
his age, but it is not so bad as going to a
watering place merely for the fashion of il.
like some rich old nabob, or professional
dandy. If Harry had told me he wanted to
dangle after Grace Chamberlain, instead of
talking in that desperate way about the
watch, might have taken it differently
There is charm on the chain with nv mo-
theirs hair that wouldn't have 90 out of
the family for fortune"


Just here the door-bell rang as ifa power
ful, nervous hand was at the handle Mr..
Houghton answered the ring, for their one
domestic had been called away by mes
sage from sick sister, and the mistress of
the house was getting along alone for day.
So when her quick ear told the visitor was
one to see her husband on business, she
quilted the room to set away the milk, and
lock up the rear doors of the house for the
night.


The caller was Mr.. Silas Bixby. lie
would have been sharp man in Elmfield
estimation who could predict the object of
one of Silas Bixby's calls, though there
were few doors in the village at which his
face was not frequently seem He was the
but he was also the Superintend-
ent OF the Sunday school, and the assessor
OF internal revenue in the district, to saw
nothing of his being the agent of two or
three sewing machine companies, and one
liie insurance company, and the correspond
ent of the Tinborough Trumpet. He owned
farm and managed it at odd hours. He
gave some of his winter evenings to keeping