first day. Well, the meeting between the old fellow
and his wife was worth the trip to New Orleans to see. I had formed a
picture in my mind of a queenly looking woman, a Southern matron--you
know how you do? And when we drew into the station I looked around for
her. As I did not see her, I watched the Captain. He got off, and I
missed him in the crowd. Presently, though, I saw him and I asked him,
'Captain, is she here?' 'Yes, sir, she is, she never misses; that's the
sort of a wife to have, sir; come here and let me introduce you.' He
pulled me up and introduced me to a sweet little old lady, in an old,
threadbare dress and wrap, and a little, faded bonnet, whom I had seen
as we came up, watching eagerly for someone, but whom I had not thought
of as being possibly the Captain's grand-dame. The Captain's manner,
however, was beautiful. 'My dear, this is my friend, Mr. Lesponts, and
he has promised to come and dine with us,' he said, with the air of
a lord, and then he leaned over and whispered something to her. 'Why,
she's coming to dine with us to-day,' she said with a very cheery laugh;
and then she turned and gave me a look that swept me from top to toe, as
if she were weighing me to see if I'd do. I seemed to pass, for she came
forward and greeted me with a charming cordiality, and invited me
to dine with them, saying that her husband had told her I knew Miss
So-and-So, and she was coming that day, and if I had no other engagement
they would be very glad if I would come that day, too. Then she turned
to the Captain and said, 'I saved Christmas dinner for you; for when
you didn't come I knew the calendar and all the rest of the world were
wrong; so to-day is our Christmas.'"

--"Well, that's all," said Lesponts; "I did not mean to talk so much,
but the old Captain is such a character, I wish you could know him.
You'd better believe I went, and I never had a nicer time. They were
just as poor as they could be, in one way, but in another they were
rich. He had a sweet little home in their three rooms. I found that
my friend always dined with them one day in the Christmas-week, and I
happened to hit that day." He leaned back.

"That was the beginning of my good fortune," he said, slowly, and then
stopped. Most of the party knew Lesponts's charming wife, so no further
explanation was needed. One of them said presently, however, "Lesponts,
why didn't you fellows get him some better place?"

"He was offered a place," sa