tly; 'I can't say as they have, altogether.
That Hannah of yours has turned out a bit of a teaser.'

"There was no touch of reproach in his tones. He simply stated a
melancholy fact.

"'But she is a good wife to you in other ways,' I urged. 'She has her
faults, of course. We all have. But she is energetic. Come now, you
will admit she's energetic.'

"I owed it to myself to find some good in Hannah, and this was the only
thing I could think of at that moment.

"'Oh yes, she's that,' he assented. 'A little too much so for our sized
house, I sometimes think.'

"'You see,' he went on, 'she's a bit cornery in her temper, Hannah is;
and then her mother's a bit trying, at times.'

"'Her mother!' I exclaimed, 'but what's _she_ got to do with you?'

"'Well, you see, sir,' he answered, 'she's living with us now--ever since
the old man went off.'

"'Hannah's father! Is he dead, then?'

"'Well, not exactly, sir,' he replied. 'He ran off about a twelvemonth
ago with one of the young women who used to teach in the Sunday School,
and joined the Mormons. It came as a great surprise to every one.'

"I groaned. 'And his business,' I inquired--'the timber business, who
carries that on?'

"'Oh, that!' answered Josiah. 'Oh, that had to be sold to pay his
debts--leastways, to go towards 'em.'

"I remarked what a terrible thing it was for his family. I supposed the
home was broken up, and they were all scattered.

"'No, sir,' he replied simply, 'they ain't scattered much. They're all
living with us.'

"'But there,' he continued, seeing the look upon my face; 'of course, all
this has nothing to do with you sir. You've got troubles of your own, I
daresay, sir. I didn't come here to worry you with mine. That would be
a poor return for all your kindness to me.'

"'What has become of Julia?' I asked. I did not feel I wanted to
question him any more about his own affairs.

"A smile broke the settled melancholy of his features. 'Ah,' he said, in
a more cheerful tone than he had hitherto employed, 'it does one good to
think about _her_, it does. She's married to a friend of mine now, young
Sam Jessop. I slips out and gives 'em a call now and then, when Hannah
ain't round. Lord, it's like getting a glimpse of heaven to look into
their little home. He often chaffs me about it, Sam does. "Well, you
_was_ a sawny-headed chunk, Josiah, _you_ was," he often says to me.
We're old chums, you know, sir, Sam and me, s