silence.

"Blank cad!" muttered the General. Then turning to Shock he said, with
hearty interest showing in his tone, "Where do you put up, Mr.
Macgregor?"

"I do not know the town at all. I shall have to look about for a
boarding place of some kind, I suppose." Shock's smile was rather
uncertain.

The General was evidently interested in this stranger, and touched by
his forlorn condition.

"The Royal there," pointing down the street, "is the best hotel. They
do you there not so badly. They may give you accommodation for a night,
but I fancy it will be rather difficult to find a boarding house. But,"
he added heartily, "why not come to me in the meantime? Mrs. Brady and
myself will be most happy to have you visit us for a few weeks, till
you find quarters. I have, unfortunately, an engagement that will keep
me late in town to-night, else I should insist on your accompanying me
at once--an engagement which I cannot well break. In short, this is our
annual spring meeting of the Turf Association, and there is in
connection with it some sort of social function to wind the thing up
to-night, and Mrs. Brady, being one of the patronesses, and I myself
being more or less interested--the president of the Association,
indeed--we cannot avoid putting in an appearance. And indeed, we enjoy
it, sir. We thoroughly enjoy it. It brings to our present crude and
somewhat limited life a little bit of the past. But to-morrow I shall
be glad to ride down for you, sir, and bring you up to my little place."

The cordial kindness of this stranger, upon whom he had no claim,
touched Shock greatly.

"Thank you again," he said. "I cannot tell you how much I feel your
kindness. But if you will allow me, I would rather accept your
invitation later. I feel I must get settled to my work at once. I have
been long on the way, and my work is waiting me." Then, after a pause,
he added simply, "But your kindness makes me think of a word I have
read, 'I was a stranger, and ye took me in.'"

The General bowed in silence, and seeing that Shock was not to be
persuaded, shook hands with him once more. "Come when you will, sir,
and stay as long as you can. The sooner you come and the longer you
stay, the better we shall be pleased." And with another courteous bow
the General rode off to attend to his duties as President of the Turf
Association.

As Shock turned back to his buckboard he found Ike waiting him. Ike had
been an interested witness of all