aid Sophronia, hastening to him, and laying her soothing
hands upon his hot forehead; "why won't you stop thinking about that? Do
try to have more faith! We shall be taken care of, I'm sure!"

"If I had three thousand dollars,--yes, or even two,--then I'd have
faith!" said Reuben. "Miss Beswick has proposed to send a
subscription-paper around town for us; but I'd rather die than have it
done. Besides, nothing near that amount could be raised, I'm confident.
You needn't groan so, Pa Ducklow, for I a'n't hinting at you. I don't
expect you to help me out of my trouble. If you had felt called upon to
do it, you'd have done it before now; and I don't ask, I don't beg of
any man!" added the soldier, proudly.

"That's right; I like your sperit!" said the miserable Ducklow. "But I
was sighing to think of something,--something you haven't known anything
about, Reuben."

"Yes, Reuben, we should have helped you," said Mrs. Ducklow, "and did,
did take steps towards it"----

"In fact," resumed Ducklow, "you've met with a great misfortin', Reuben.
Unbeknown to yourself, you've met with a great misfortin'! Yer Ma
Ducklow knows."

"Yes, Reuben, the very day you came home, your Pa Ducklow made an
investment for your benefit. We didn't mention it,--you know I wouldn't
own up to it, though I didn't exactly say the contrary, the morning we
was over here"----

"Because," said Ducklow, as she faltered, "we wanted to surprise you; we
was keepin' it a secret till the right time, then we was goin' to make
it a pleasant surprise to ye."

"What in the name of common-sense are you talking about?" cried Reuben,
looking from one to the other of the wretched, prevaricating pair.

"Cowpon bonds!" groaned Ducklow. "Three thousan'-dollar cowpon bonds!
The money had been lent, but I wanted to make a good investment for you,
and I thought there was nothin' so good as Gov'ments"----

"That's all right," said Reuben. "Only, if you had money to invest for
my benefit, I should have preferred to pay off the mortgage the first
thing."

"Sartin! sartin!" said Ducklow; "and you could have turned the bonds
right in, if you had so chosen, like so much cash. Or you could have
drawed your interest on the bonds in gold, and paid the interest on your
mortgage in currency, and made so much, as I rather thought you would."

"But the bonds?" eagerly demanded Reuben, with trembling hopes, just as
Miss Beswick, with her shawl over her head, entered the room.