rs. Nettley turned her cakes in a great hurry, as her
brother pushed open the door and let the intruder in.

He took off his hat as he came, shewing a head that had seen
some sixty winters, thinly dressed with yellow hair but not at
all grey. The face was strong and Yankee-marked with
shrewdness and reserve. His hat was wet and his shoulders,
which had no protection of an overcoat.

"Do you wish to see Mr. Landholm in his room?" said Mr.
Inchbald. "He's just coming down to breakfast."

"That'll do as well," said the stranger nodding. "And stop --
you may give him this -- maybe he'd as lieve have it up there."

Mr. Inchbald looked at the letter handed him, the outside of
which at least told no tales; but his sister with a woman's
quick instinct had already asked,

"Is anything the matter?"

"Matter?" -- said the stranger, -- "well, yes. -- He's wanted to
hum."

Both brother and sister stood now forgetting everything, both
saying in a breath,

"Wanted, what for?"

"Well -- there's sickness --"

"His father?"

"No, his mother."

Mrs. Nettley threw down her slice and ran out of the room. Mr.
Inchbald turned away slowly in the other direction. The
stranger, left alone, took a knife from the table and dished
the neglected cakes, and sat down to dry himself between them
and the coffee.

Mr. Inchbald slowly mounted the stairs to Winthrop's door, met
the pleasant face that met him there, and gave the letter.

"I was coming to ask you down to breakfast with us, Mr.
Landholm; but somebody has just come with that for you, and
wishes you to have it at once."

The pleasant face grew grave, and the seal was broken, and the
letter unfolded. It was a folio half sheet, of coarse
yellowish paper, near the upper end of which a very few lines
were irregularly written.

"My dear son

"It is with great pain I write to tell you that you must leave
all and hasten home if you would see your mother. Friend
Underhill will take this to you, and your shortest way will
be, probably, to hire a horse in M. and travel night and day;
as the time of the boat is uncertain and the stage does not
make very good time -- Her illness has been so short that we
did not know it was necessary to alarm you before. My dear
son, come without delay --

"Your father,

"W. Landholm."

Mr. Inchbald watched the face and manner of his friend as he
read, and after he read, these few words, -- but the one
expressed only gravity, the other,