sob of the night before.
"I have been thinking of her all through the day, and wondering who she
is, and why she left her baby at our door."

"And so have I, Daniel. I had the idea that she would return, and
several times I started at the least noise, expecting to see her at the
door."

"I do not wish to deprive the mother of her baby," the parson
thoughtfully mused, "but how I should like to keep him! He seems to
belong to us. In fact, he has made himself perfectly at home already."

Parson Dan was astir unusually early the next morning. He stood before
the rectory looking up and down the road, uncertain which course to
take in search of the missing Brindle.

"Let me see," he considered, "that fence is down on the upper side, and
most likely those cows have made their way up the road. I guess I had
better hunt there first."

As he stood there his eyes roamed over the scene before him. The
rectory was situated upon a gentle elevation, surrounded by tall,
graceful elms, and large branching maples. Below the road was the
parish church, standing where it had stood for almost one hundred
years, amid its setting of elms, maples, and oaks. Nearby was the
cemetery, where the numerous shafts of marble and granite could be
plainly seen from the road. To the right and left were pretty
cottages, for the most part closed, as they belonged to people from the
city, who, like the swallows, having spent their summer in this
beautiful spot, had flitted at the approach of winter. Beyond
stretched the St. John River, one of the finest sheets of water in the
province, or even in Eastern Canada. This morning it appeared like a
magic mirror, with not a breath of wind ruffling its placid surface.

Parson Dan's heart filled with pride and peace as he gazed upon the
entrancing scene. Seldom had it looked so beautiful, and he believed
that the early morning hour had much to do with its attractiveness.

"Glorious, glorious!" he murmured, "and so few abroad to see it. How
the spirit of peace is brooding over river and land! Marvellous are
Thy works, O Lord, and Thy mercies are renewed every morning."

He was aroused from his meditation by the sound of foot-steps upon the
road. Glancing quickly around, he saw a tall, powerfully-built man
approaching, carrying in his right hand a large stick, which he brought
down upon the ground with a resounding thump. His clothes were rough;
a heavy pair of boots encased his feet, while a