excellent employer, and an honest man. An arrangement had been entered
into with a neighboring farmer regarding their board and lodging,
so that every thing was settled very much to the satisfaction of all
parties.

When the day of their departure had at length arrived, Art felt his
affections strongly divided, but without being diminished, between
Margaret Murray and his family; while Frank, who was calm and
thoughtful, addressed himself to the task of getting ready such luggage
as they had been provided with.

"Frank," said Art, "don't you think we ought to go and bid farewell to a
few of our nearest neighbors before we lave home?"

"Where's the use of that?" asked Frank; "not a bit, Art; the best plan
is jist to bid our own people farewell, and slip away without noise or
nonsense."

"You may act as you plaise, Frank," replied the other; "as for me, I'll
call on Jemmy Hanlon and Tom Connolly, at all events; but hould," said
he, abruptly, "ought I to do that? Isn't it their business to come to
us?"

"It is," replied Frank, "and so they would too, but that they think
we won't start till Thursday; for you know we didn't intend to go till
then."

"Well," said Art, "that's a horse of another color: I will call on them.
Wouldn't they think it heartless of us to go off widout seein' them? An'
besides, Frank, why should we steal away like thieves that had the hue
and cry at their heels? No, faith, as sure as we go at all, we'll go
openly, an' like men that have nothing to be afraid of."

"Very well," replied his brother, "have it your own way, so far as
you're consarned, as for me, I look upon it all as mere nonsense."

It is seldom that honest and manly affection fails to meet its reward,
be the period soon or late. Had Art been guided by Frank's apparent
indifference--who, however, acted in this matter solely for the sake of
sparing his brother's feelings--he would have missed the opportunity of
being a party to an incident which influenced his future life in all he
ever afterwards enjoyed and suffered. He had gone, as he said, to bid
farewell to his neighbors, and was on his return home in order to take
his departure, when whom should he meet on her way to her father's
house, after having called at his father's "to see the girls," as she
said, with a slight emphasis upon the word girls, but Margaret Murray.

As was natural, and as they had often done before under similar
circumstances, each paused on meeting,