er crib, kicked a hole in her
box, and receiving a bad character from the blacksmith, gave a worse one
to her late master.

Jeff's purchases were of a temporary and ornamental quality, but not
always judicious as a permanent investment. Overhearing some remark from
Miss Mayfield concerning the dangerous character of the two-tined steel
fork, which was part of the table equipage of the "Half-way House," he
purchased half a dozen of what his aunt was pleased to specify as "split
spoons," and thereby lost his late good standing with her. He not only
repaired the window-shutter, but tempered the glaring window itself
with a bit of curtain; he half carpeted Miss Mayfield's bed-room with
wild-cat skins and the now historical bear-skin, and felt himself
overpaid when that young lady, passing the soft tabbyskins across her
cheek, declared they were "lovely." For Miss Mayfield, deprecating
slaughter in the abstract, accepted its results gratefully, like the
rest of her sex, and while willing to "let the hart ungalled play,"
nevertheless was able to console herself with its venison. The woods,
besides yielding aid and comfort of this kind to the distressed damsel,
were flamboyant with vivid spring blossoms, and Jeff lit up the cold,
white walls of her virgin cell with demonstrative color, and made--what
his aunt, a cleanly soul, whose ideas of that quality were based upon
the absence of any color whatever, called--"a litter."

The result of which was to make Miss Mayfield, otherwise lanquid and
ennuye, welcome Jeff's presence with a smile; to make Jeff, otherwise
anxious, eager, and keenly attentive, mute and silent in her presence.
Two symptoms bad for Jeff.

Meantime Mr. Mayfield's small conventional spirit pined for fellowship,
only to be found in larger civilizations, and sought, under plea of
business, a visit to Sacramento, where a few of the Mayfield type, still
surviving, were to be found.

This was a relief to Jeff, who only through his regard for the daughter,
was kept from open quarrel with the father. He fancied Miss Mayfield
felt relieved too, although Jeff had noticed that Mayfield had deferred
to his daughter more often than his wife--over whom your conventional
small autocrat is always victorious. It takes the legal matrimonial
contract to properly develop the first-class tyrant, male or female.

On one of these days Jeff was returning through the woods from marketing
at the Forks, which, since the sale of Ra