"How far is it from Schaeffer's to Tarr Farm? Perhaps I could walk,"
suggested Miselle, modestly distrusting her own power in dealing with a
rapacious flatboatman.

"Well, it's five mild, more or less. Think you could foot it that fur?"

"Oh, yes, very easily. Is the road pretty good?"

"My gracious goodness! Clementiny, she wants to know if the road down
the Crik is 'pretty good'!"

"Reckon you ha'n't travelled round much in these parts. Where d'y'
b'long?" asked the ingenuous Clementina, after a prolonged stare at the
benighted stranger.

Having satisfied herself for the time being with human nature, Miselle
returned to the window, and found the landscape mistier than ever.

She was still considering her probable success in finding an oil-boat
and an oil-man to take her down the Creek, and steadily turning her back
upon the vision of the Eastern-bound Lightning Express, when a lady
followed by a gentleman ran up the steps of the Boston House, and
presently entered the dreary parlor, transforming it, as she did so, to
a cheerful abiding-place, by the magic of youth, beauty, and grace.
Miselle devoured her with her eyes, as did Crusoe the human footstep on
his desert island. An answering glance, a suppressed smile on either
side, and an understanding was established, an alliance completed, a tie
more subtile than Freemasonry confessed.

In ten minutes Miselle and her new friend had conquered the lawless
stove, had seated themselves before it, and were confiding to each other
the mischances that had left them stranded upon the shore of
Corry,--Miselle for the night, Melusina until two o'clock in the
morning.

Tea-time surprised this interchange of ideas, and so sunny had Miselle's
mood become that she was able to eat and drink, even though confronted
by the baby and its youthful mother, whose knife impartially deposited
in her own mouth and the infant's portions of beefsteak, potatoes,
short-cake, toast, pie, and cake, varied with spoonfuls of hot tea, at
which the wretched little victim blinked and choked, but still
swallowed.

After tea, the infant, excited by refreshment nearly to the point of
convulsions, was restored to its grandmother, while the mother played
upon a mournful instrument called a melodeon, and sang various popular
songs in a powerful, but uncultivated voice.

When she was done, Miselle persuaded Melusina to take her seat at the
instrument, and straightway the house was filled with such m