er, that was.

"Anybody been here to-day?" Mr. Ducklow inquired, pressing the heel of
his right boot in the jack, and steadying the toe under a round of the
chair.

"No!" replied Mrs. Ducklow.

"Ye been anywhere?"

"Yes!"

"Where?" mildly inquired Mr. Ducklow.

"No matter!" said Mrs. Ducklow, with decided ill-temper.

Mr. Ducklow drew a deep sigh, as he turned and looked upon her.

"Wal, you be about the most uncomf'table woman ever I see!" he said,
with a dark and dissatisfied countenance.

"If you can't answer my question, I don't see why I need take the
trouble to answer yours,"--and Mrs. Ducklow returned with compressed
lips to her patching. "Yer supper is ready; ye can eat it when ye
please."

"I was answerin' your question as fast as I could," said her husband, in
a tone of excessive mildness, full of sorrow and discouragement.

"I haven't seen any signs of your answering it!"

And the housewife's fingers stitched away energetically at the patch.

"Wal, wal! ye don't see everything!"

Mr. Ducklow, having already removed one boot, drew gently on the other.
As it came off, something fell out on the floor. He picked it up, and
handed it with a triumphant smile to Mrs. Ducklow.

"Oh, indeed! is this the"----

She was radiant. Her hands dropped their work, and opened the package,
which consisted of a large, unsealed envelope and folded papers within.
These she unfolded and examined with beaming satisfaction.

"But what made ye carry 'em in yer boot so?"

"To tell the truth," said Mr. Ducklow, in a suppressed voice, "I was
afraid o' bein' robbed. I never was so afraid o' bein' robbed in my
life! So, jest as I got clear o' the town, I took it out o' my pocket,"
(meaning, not the town, but the envelope containing the papers,) "an'
tucked it down my boot-leg. Then, all the way home, I was scaret when I
was ridin' alone, an' still more scaret when I heard anybody comin'
after me. You see, it's jest like so much money."

And he arranged the window-curtain in a manner to prevent the
sharpest-eyed burglar from peeping in and catching a glimpse of the
papers.

He neglected to secure the stairway-door, however. There, in his
hiding-place behind it, stood Taddy, shivering in his shirt, but peeping
and listening in a fever of curiosity which nothing could chill. His
position was such that he could not see Mr. Ducklow or the documents,
and his mind was left free to revel in the most daring fancies regardin