," said the bright-eyed Almira, "there's that old butternut-tree that
you shinned up one day when we set the hounds on you. Goodness! how you
scooted!"

Again Jim laughed loudly and nodded. "Yes, the same old butternut. How
you DO remember, Almira?" This admiringly.

"And don't you remember Delia Short?" continued Almira, pleased at the
admiration, and perhaps a little exalted at the singular attention which
the young editor was giving to those cheerful reminiscences. "She, you
know, you was reg'larly sick after, so that we always allowed she kinder
turned yo' brain afore you went away! Well! all the while you were
courtin' her it appears she was secretly married to Jo--yo' friend--Jo
Stacy. Lord! there was a talk about that! and about yo' all along
thinkin' yo' had chances! Yo' friend here," with an arch glance at Grey,
"who's allus puttin' folks in the newspapers, orter get a hold on that!"

Jim again laughed louder than the others, and rubbed his lips. Grey,
however, offered only the tribute of a peculiar smile and walked to the
window. "You say your father will return in an hour?" he said, turning
to the elder brother.

"Yes, unless he kept on to Watson's."

"Where?" said Jim suddenly.

It struck Grey that his voice had changed--or rather that he was now
speaking for the first time in his natural tone.

"Watson's, just over the bridge," explained his brother. "If he went
there he won't be back till ten."

Jim picked up his India rubber cape and hat, said, "I reckon I'll just
take a turn outside until he gets back," and walked towards the door.
None of his relatives moved nor seemed to offer any opposition. Grey
followed him quickly. "I'll go with you," he said.

"No," returned Jim with singular earnestness. "You stay here and keep
'em up cheerful like this. They're doing all this for YOU, you know;
Almiry's just this chipper only on your account."

Seeing the young man was inflexible, Grey returned grimly to the room,
but not until he had noticed, with some surprise, that Jim, immediately
on leaving the house, darted off at a quick run through the rain and
darkness. Preoccupied with this, and perhaps still influenced by the
tone of the previous conversation, he did not respond readily to the
fair Almira's conversational advances, and was speedily left to a seat
by the fire alone. At the end of ten minutes he regretted he had ever
come; when half an hour had passed he wondered if he had not better try
to