of gettin' the biggest share of nearly
everybody's liking that comes next or anigh 'em. I don't know how it's
done, or what works it. But so it is; and Jim could always count on
every man, woman, and child, wherever he lived, wearing his colours and
backing him right out, through thick and thin.

When I came up Aileen was saying--

'Oh, Jim, my dear old Jim! now I'll die happy; mother and I were only
talking of you to-day, and wondering whether we should see you at
Christmas--and now you have come. Oh, Dick! and you too. But we shall be
frightened every time we hear a horse's tread or dog's bark.'

'Well, we're here now, Aileen, and that's something. I had a great
notion of clearing out for San Francisco and turning Yankee. What would
you have done then?'

We walked up to the house, leading our horses, Jim and Aileen hand in
hand. Mother looked up and gave a scream; she nearly fell down; when we
got in her face was as white as a sheet.

'Mother of Mercy! I vowed to you for this,' she said; 'sure she hears
our prayers. I wanted to see ye both before I died, and I didn't think
you'd come. I was afraid ye'd be dreadin' the police, and maybe stay
away for good and all. The Lord be thanked for all His mercies!'

We went in and enjoyed our tea. We had had nothing to eat that day since
breakfast; but better than all was Aileen's pleasant, clever tongue,
though she said it was getting stiff for want of exercise. She wanted
to know all about our travels, and was never tired of listening to Jim's
stories of the wonders we had seen in the great cities and the strange
places we had been to.

'Oh! how happy you must have been!' she would say, 'while we have been
pining and wearying here, all through last spring and summer, and then
winter again--cold and miserable it was last year; and now Christmas has
come again. Don't go away again for a good while, or mother and I'll die
straight out.'

Well, what could we say? Tell her we'd never go away at all if we could
help it--only she must be a good girl and make the best of things, for
mother's sake? When had she seen father last?

'Oh! he was away a good while once; that time you and Jim were at Mr.
Falkland's back country. You must have had a long job then; no wonder
you've got such good clothes and look so smartened up like. He comes
every now and then, just like he used. We never know what's become of
him.'

'When was he here last?'

'Oh! about a month ago. He said he m