Year: 1871

aud Aunt Maria's nephew, once more
at home to take the slack reins into his
strong hands, and set those things
straight which Aunt Maria's good-na-
ture for the one part, and fear of inter-
fering in matters beyond her ultimate
control for the other, used to let 60
crooked. There we're tenants to look
after, and rents to receive, and leases to
renew for Will Magous had supreme
distrust Of all professional services, and
preferred to let his affairs come to
stand.still in Aunt Maria's Keeping,
while he was rambling in foreign parts,
to trusting them to any paid agent
whatsoever. There was thus plenty for
him to do at such times as he came
home; and Aunt Maria was little
troubled to have this lassie aud her
silly affairs added to her favorite's bur.
dens. But it had to be done, and to
Will was left the task Of coping with
Addy Cayley,,


Somehow Grace was desperately afraid
Of this guardian of hers. 1t is that
way wi tn young people when any one
is held up; to them as bug-bear and
Aunt Maria, being weak on all quest
ions Of authority, had the habit of put
| ting forward her nephew as the ultima
ratio impersonate, the bogie whom no
one could Withstand. So that when
Grace was sent for in the cleaning to
come down stairs, and be introduced to
her guardian, she entered the room
with her foolish heart all in a futter,
and her cheeks with considerably more
of the cream than the rose-leat in
them.


"And you are poor Jacks little girl!''
said kind, frank, CHEEKY voice, and
Grace, lifting up her shy blue eyes,
saw standing before her medium-sized
not particularly handsome, but square
built, powerful-looking man, with a
bronzed, genial face, and a pleasant
smile, showing row of small square
teeth like ivory beneath the tawny gold
of his bushy beard. Then Grace was
no longer afraid. With the instructive
trust of child, or an aOimal, she went
straight up to her guardian, and laid
both her hands on one of his broad
outstretched palms. They were friends
from that moment, to Aunt Maria's un.
feigued surprise, and maid James Sc
cret disapprobation.


"Miss Grace need not have beer
afraid OF silly" she said, when discus
sing the subject In the sanctuary Of
Of the housekeeper's room; "but she
might have been content with one hand
I think, and him \ gentleman as she
had never set eyes on before"
If Jack Aliens daughter had studied
under the cleverest and most rusee Of
instructresses, SHE could have dons
nothing wiser, 81 far as her guardian
was concerned, than what she did when
she frankly laid her hands on his, and
claimed and accepted him as her friend
For the ono besetting weakness of the
strong man in whose care she had been
left, was, that he liked to BE- loved, and
valued trust more than aoythirg else iu
the world. Hc was one Of those men
who are what others make them to
the suspicious an enemy, to the loving
and believing a hero, a protector, &
friend. To Grace Allen, therefore, hi
was resolved to be ence forth her bes
and truest protector, her champion
eare-taker, emrhatically her friend.


William Manugus was given to ma
klag pets. Now it was dog, now a
horse, sometimes child, sometimes &
pursuit.; and sometimes it was a woman
His fancies generally varied with eaol
return home i; so that Aunt Maria wa:
not greatly surprised to see him give
up all his other loves, even his pointe
Fan, and his bay horse, Cub, for lii
new plaything, poor Jack Aliens daugb
ter. He devoted himself to her. Fo
| her sake he abandoned certain savag
ways, which he had never been know
to abandon until now. He wore dres
coat for dinner, instead of loose sacl
more like a cloak than a coat b
smoked one cigar where formerly b
had smoked three and ne came int
the drawing room Of an evening AM
talked instead Of keeping in his owl
peculiar den, where no one but himsel
ever entered. He became, instead, al
most nuisance from the persistenc.
with which he hung about the drawing
room; whereas, in former times, he hat
been more slippery than an eel, and as
difficult to catch as wild hawk. Aun
Maria noted all these changes, but sait
nothing. Will was master, as she hat
said, and she knew her own interest
too we'll to oppose his inclinations
whatever they might have been. AM
then Grace was but bit lassie yet, sht
argued to herself; and she had no rca
son to be afraid. And yet, why afraid


Will was his own master; and if b
chose to fall in love with Grace, an.
to marry her off.nsnd, who was there t.
say him nay, and why should he not


Yet somehow the prospect did no
please Aunt Maria. Fine fellow, ant
strong and hearty as Will was, he wa
forty if day, while Grace was bu
sixteen yet, not even that one year ripper
| II