give rise, especially
commissioned to repay past crimes and by-gone errors? Not so,
inevitably!--or many a worthless incapable and many a dishonest trader
in his country's blood and treasure would before this have bitten the
dust,--and Baker, Lyon, Lander, Winthrop and fifty other prominent
martyrs to the cause of the Union would yet have been alive and battling
for the right!

Suddenly, the conversation between Josephine Harris and Bell Crawford
came to a conclusion, and the former sprung to her feet with a
frightened and angry "ough!" while the latter leaned back in her chair
in a state of stupefied vexation not easy to describe. The cause of this
excitement may be briefly given. Both at the same instant discovered a
face thrust down to the level of their own and immediately between them,
with a familiarity most inexcusable in a stranger. Yet the face was
certainly that of an entire stranger--a respectably dressed elderly man,
with full gray hair and beard, and holding a speckled Leghorn hat in his
hand.

"Ough! get out! who are you and what do you want here?" broke out the
excited girl, with a propensity, meanwhile, to repay this second
impudence of the day by such a sound boxing of the ears as would make
the event one to be remembered; while Miss Crawford took a rather more
practical view of the matter, with the single word "Impertinence" and a
supplementary call of "Waiter!"

"Ladies! ladies! what is the matter?" asked the elderly intruder, as he
saw the movements of the two girls, and the waiter hurrying up with his
towel over his arm, in obedience to the call.

"Anything wanted, Miss?" asked the waiter.

"Yes," said Miss Bell Crawford. "Take that man away from this table. He
must be either a wretch or a madman, to intrude in this way where he is
not known or wanted."

"Yes," echoed Joe, remembering the scene in the street, only an hour or
two before--"take him away, and if you can find any one to do it, have
him caned soundly."

"Come, sir, you must go to another table--these ladies are strangers and
complain of you," said the waiter, taking the strange man by the arm,
and disposed to relieve two ladies from impertinence, though not, as
suggested, to lose a customer for the house.

"Why, ladies, this treatment is really very strange!" said the man
complained of, all gravity and surprise. "Just as if I was really a
stranger---just as if--"

But here he was broken in upon by Joe Harris absolutely scream