d Old
Hurricane.

After supper the old man found his dressing-gown and slippers before the
fire all ready for his use.

"Cap, you monkey, you did this," he said, turning around. But Capitola
had already left the room.

Next morning at breakfast there was a repetition of the same scene.
Early in the forenoon Major Warfield ordered his horses and, attended by
Wool rode up to Tip-Top. He did not return either to dinner or tea, but
as that circumstance was not unusual, it gave no uneasiness. Mrs.
Condiment kept his supper warm, and Capitola had his dressing-gown and
slippers ready.

She was turning them before the fire when the old man arrived. He came
in quite gayly, saying:

"Now, Cap, I think I have found a talisman at last to cast out that
'dumb devil.' I heard you wishing for a watch the other day. Now, as
devils belong to eternity, and have no business with time, of course the
sight of this little time-keeper must put yours to flight," and so
saying he laid upon the table, before the eyes of Capitola, a beautiful
little gold watch and chain. She glanced at it as it lay glittering and
sparkling in the lamplight, and then turned abruptly and walked away.

"Humph! that's always the way the devils do--fly when they can't stand
shot."

Capitola deliberately walked back, laid a paper over the little watch
and chain, as if to cover its fascinating sparkle and glitter, and said:

"Uncle, your bounty is large and your present is beautiful; but there is
something that poor Capitola values more than----"

She paused, dropped her head upon her bosom, a sudden blush flamed up
over her face, and tear-drops glittered in her downcast eyes. She put
both hands before her burning face for a moment, and then, dropping
them, resumed:

"Uncle, you rescued me from misery and, perhaps--perhaps, early death;
you have heaped benefits and bounties upon me without measure; you have
placed me in a home of abundance, honor and security. For all this if I
were not grateful I should deserve no less than death. But, uncle, there
is a sin that is worse, at least, more ungenerous, than ingratitude; it
is to put a helpless fellow-creature under heavy obligations and then
treat that grateful creature with undeserved contempt and cruel
unkindness." Once more her voice was choked with feeling.

For some reason or other Capitola's tears--perhaps because they were so
rare--always moved Old Hurricane to his heart's center. Going toward her
soft