e army, he reproached himself for not have grieved for her more
deeply. "Poor Nellie," he would sometimes say, "how she would have
enjoyed this house, if she had lived to possess it." But he never had
that feeling of widowhood known to those whose lives have been torn
in two.

IV.

PROTECTOR AND PROTEGEE.

A few days later, Mr. Farnham attended a meeting of the library board,
and presented the name of Miss Matchin as a candidate for a subordinate
place in the library. There were several such positions, requiring no
special education or training, the duties of which could be as well
filled by Miss Maud as by any one else. She had sent several strong
letters of recommendation to the board, from prominent citizens who
knew and respected her father, for when Maud informed him of her new
ambition, Matchin entered heartily into the affair, and bestirred
himself to use what credit he had in the ward to assist her.

Maud had not exaggerated the effect of her blandishments upon Dr.
Buchlieber. The old gentleman spoke in her favor with great fluency;
"she was young, healthy, active, intelligent, a graduate of the high
school."

"And very pretty, is she not?" asked a member of the board,
maliciously.

The Doctor colored, but was not abashed. He gazed steadily at the
interrupter through his round glasses, and said:

"Yes, she is very fine looking--but I do not see that that should stand
in her way."

Not another word was said against her, and a ballot was taken to decide
the question. There were five members of the board, three besides
Farnham and Buchlieber. Maud had two votes, and a young woman whose
name had not been mentioned received the other three. Buchlieber
counted the ballots, and announced the vote. Farnham flushed with
anger. Not only had no attention been paid to his recommendation, but
he had not even been informed that there was another candidate. In a
few sarcastic words he referred to the furtive understanding existing
among the majority, and apologized for having made such a mistake as to
suppose they cared to hear the merits of appointees discussed.

The three colleagues sat silent. At last, one of them crossed his legs
anew and said:

"I'm sure nobody meant any offence. We agreed on this lady several days
ago. I know nothing about her, but her father used to be one of our
best workers in the seventh ward. He is in the penitentiary now, and
the family is about down to bedrock. The reason w