' on brought
him all the way, and took him straight home; and that's the reason he
got along so sudden and unexpected, even to Sophrony. Oh, if you could
seen their meetin', as I did! then you wouldn't sneer at my takin' an
interest!" And Miss Beswick, strong-minded as she was, found it
necessary to make use of her handkerchief. "I didn't stop only to help
put him to bed, and fix things a little; then I left 'em alone, and run
over to tell ye. It's a pity you didn't know he was in town when you was
there to-day, so as to bring him home with ye. But I s'pose you had your
investments to look after. Come, now, Mr. Ducklow, how many thousan'
dollars have you invested, since Reuben's been off to the war, and his
folks have been sufferin' to home? You may have been layin' up hundreds,
or even thousands, that way, this very day, for aught I know. But let me
tell ye, you won't git no good of such property,--it'll only be a cuss
to ye,--till you do the right thing by Reuben. Mark my word!"

There was another long silence.

"You a'n't going, be ye Miss Beswick?" said Mrs. Ducklow,--for the
visitor had arisen. "What's yer hurry?"

"No hurry at all; but I've done my arrant and said my say, and may as
well be goin'. Good night. Good night, Mr. Ducklow."

And Miss Beswick, pulling her shawl over her head, stalked out of the
house like some tall, gaunt spectre, leaving the Ducklows to recover as
best they could from the consternation into which they had been thrown
by her coming.

"Did you ever?" said Mrs. Ducklow, gaining courage to speak after the
visitor was out of hearing.

"She's got a tongue!" said Mr. Ducklow.

"Strange she should speak of your investing money to-day! D' ye s'pose
she knows?"

"I don't see how she _can_ know." And Mr. Ducklow paced the room in deep
trouble. "I've been careful not to give a hint on 't to anybody, for I
knew jest what folks would say: 'If Ducklow has got so much money to
dispose of, he'd better give Reuben a lift.' I know how folks talk."

"Coming here to browbeat us!" exclaimed Mrs. Ducklow. "I wonder ye
didn't be a little more plain with _her_, father! I wouldn't have sot
and been dictated to as tamely as you did!"

"You wouldn't? Then why did ye? She dictated to you as much as she did
to me; and you scurce opened your head; you didn't dars' to say yer soul
was your own!"

"Yes, I did, I"----.

"You ventur'd to speak once, and she shet ye up quicker 'n lightnin'!
Now tell about