n
home; and so here we are,--came up on the early train this morning, as
Jacob had business in the city. And now!--and my dear looking so well
and so beautiful, and the living spirit of her mother--"

"Oh, hush, Nurse Lucy! you must not flatter me!" cried Hildegarde. "See!
there is your parcel all done up! I will take it for you; and I don't
think that young woman will neglect a customer again for one while."

Arm in arm, they passed through the crowd. As they reached the street,
Mrs. Hartley pressed Hildegarde's arm. "Hush, dear! stop a minute!
there's Jacob; waiting so patient, poor soul! To think how surprised he
will be! What shall we say to him?"

"I know!" said Hildegarde. "Let me tell him, Nurse Lucy!"

A tall, stalwart man was standing with his back to them; his legs were
rather wide apart, his shoulders squared, and he seemed to have planted
himself against the throng of people that hurried and jostled by him.
Discontent was visible in every line of his figure, and Hildegarde knew
just how his mouth was puckered, though she could not see it.

Hildegarde stepped up softly behind him, and spoke in his ear.

"And what do you expect to get for winter wheat, Mr. Hartley?"

The farmer turned round as if he had been shot. "What in--now take me
away! take me away home, before I lose any senses this place has left
me. This ain't Huldy Grahame, no way of the world!"

Convinced that it was that young person herself, he seized her two
hands, and drew her forcibly along, as he made his way through the
crowd. "Lucy found ye?" he said. "I bet Lucy found ye. Nothin' like
women! I've been thinkin' about ye all this blessed day, and looked at
every gal that went by, and they was about ten thousand of 'em, and not
one I'd look at twice. Come along, Lucy! I've done all the shoppin' I
want! Let's get home to Doctor Flower's, and have a sight at this gal,
before I wake up and find she's a dream!"

As the good man spoke, he hurried Hildegarde along at a surprising rate,
Nurse Lucy following as best she might. Hildegarde was fairly bewildered
by all these sudden meetings. She began to feel as if every street
corner must reveal some new vision; she looked for Bubble,--for the
Merryweathers; it seemed to her, too, almost dreamlike in its
strangeness. Yet after all, there is nothing wonderful in meeting all
sorts and conditions of men in the course of two days in New York.

A short walk brought them to a quiet, pleasant street,