they passed the house, perhaps a hundred years old, now owned
and occupied by John Gilbert, the actor. A little further on they came
to the Towne place, which, through the courtesy of its owner, gave them
a good look at Eagle Head and the pretty houses which dot the
surrounding shore. Returning, they drove for a while on the singing
sands of Old Neck beach, before going back through the town towards West
Manchester to Doctor Bartol's observatory. On reaching that, through the
kindness of the venerable doctor, they were privileged to view from the
top its fine outlook.

"What a short distance to Gale's Point," exclaimed Tom pointing in that
direction, "but what a long ride round!"

"That's what I said," responded his father. "The bridge must come."

After driving through one or two of the neighboring places, and also
through the Higginson woods, where as yet there was but one house, they
drove back to the centre of the town. Before returning home they spent
some little time in Allen's favorite corner-store, where they indulged
with its genial owner--who was an old friend of Mrs. Gordon's--in
pleasant reminiscences. He told them much of the present condition of
the town, and of its projected changes. He said that the taxes, which
had been as high as thirteen or fourteen dollars a thousand, and as low
as four dollars and eighty cents, were just now six dollars and ten
cents a thousand. He greatly interested Bessie and Tom by telling
amusing and even thrilling anecdotes of some old ancestors of theirs who
had been prominent in town affairs. He told of one in particular, an old
sea-captain, who was captured by the British in the revolutionary war
for being an American; how he suffered everything while incarcerated in
Dartmoor prison, rather than deny his birthright. The originality of
this old "grandsir," as he was called, also interested them. He always
called the gentry, or the "upper ten," the "Qual." This was his name for
the quality, as others called them. Tom was specially pleased to hear
that the farm which he owned and lived on was still owned and occupied
by his descendants, having been in the same family name since 1640. What
is called "Leach Mountain" belongs to the estate.

As the Gordons were leaving the friend who had so entertained them, he
invited them to go in the afternoon to the Essex woods to see the
Agassiz rock, and the immense boulder near it. This invitation they were
happy to accept. Bessie was th