impossible to fix my thoughts
on the game, and she checkmated me twice in ten minutes.

'It's no good,' I exclaimed. 'I can't think of anything but Mr. Turton.'

When the clock on the mantelpiece struck six, I rose from my chair and
began to fidget about the room, looking every few minutes to see how the
time was passing.

'I think I heard a cab or something stop at the door!' cried Jacintha
presently.

'So did I!' I muttered.

'I wish I knew whether Mr. Turton had come,' she said.

'Can't you find out?' I suggested.

'Perhaps I can see from the hall,' she answered, and as the front door
bell rang again she left me alone in the room.

A few seconds later she hastily re-entered.

'There _are_ two!' she cried, excitedly.

'Is one of them Mr. Turton?' I demanded.

'I could not see distinctly through the glass door,' she said. 'Only I
am quite positive there are two.'

As she spoke, and I gave myself up for lost, the butler hastened past
the open door of the room in the act of thrusting his left arm into his
sleeve. The bell was rung a second time.

'Do have another look!' I urged, and once more Jacintha darted out of
the room, while I felt, for my own part, as if my feet were riveted to
one particular part of the carpet.

'It isn't Mr. Turton,' she exclaimed, returning the next instant, and
this was at least a reprieve.

'Perhaps he wouldn't have me back after all,' I answered, and then I
felt suddenly cold from head to foot, for the voice of Mr. Westlake's
companion sounded remarkably like one which I had never hoped to hear
again. Unable to restrain myself, I ran out to the hall, and there stood
Captain Knowlton giving his hat and stick to the butler.

'Ah, Jack!' he said, with one of his casual nods; and he took my hand as
if he had parted with me yesterday, and had been expected back as a
matter of course to-day. But I began to laugh and cry by turns, clinging
to his hand as if I were fully determined never to let him go again.

(_Continued on page 187._)

A SPARROW'S COOLNESS.

Our commonest bird is the sparrow, that plucky, impudent, little
creature which hops about in our gardens and yards, and twitters upon
our roofs all day long. It seems rather difficult at first to understand
why it should be so much more common than other birds. It is not large
or strong, or swift on the wing, and it seems to have none of those
advantages which would help it to defend itself against enemies. It