g almost to
her feet.

"Nonsense!" exclaimed Miss Thusa, "I have not a relation, that I know
of, this side of the Atlantic, and if I had, they would not be worth a
cent in the world. It must be an imposition," and she looked sharply at
Louis through her lowered glasses.

"Upon my honor, Miss Thusa, I know nothing about it," asserted Louis. "I
never saw it till you pointed it out to me. Whatever it means, it must
be genuine. Do you not think so, father?"

"I see no room to imagine any thing like deception here," said Mr.
Gleason, after examining the paper. "I think you must obey the summons,
Miss Thusa, and ascertain what blessings Providence may have in store
for you."

"Well," said Miss Thusa, with decision, "I will go to-morrow. What time
does the stage start?"

"Soon after sunrise," replied Mr. Gleason. "But you cannot undertake
such a long journey alone. You have no experience in traveling in cars
and steamboats, and, at your age, you will find it very fatiguing. We
can accompany you as far as New York, but there we must part, for I am
compelled to return without any delay. Louis, too, is obliged to resume
his college studies. The young doctor cannot leave his patients. Suppose
you invest some one with legal authority, Miss Thusa, to investigate the
matter?"

"I shall go myself," was the unhesitating answer. "As for going alone, I
would not thank the King of England, if there was one, for his
company--though I am obliged to you for thinking of my comfort. I know
I'm getting old, but I should like to see the man, woman or child in
this town, or any other, that can bear more than I can. I always was
independent, thank the Lord. After living without the help of man this
long, I hope I can get along without it at the eleventh hour. As to its
being a money concern, I don't believe a word of it, and I wouldn't walk
across the room, if it just concerned myself alone; but when I see the
name of my poor, dead brother, I feel a command on me, just as if I saw
it printed on tablets of stone, by the finger of the Lord Himself."

The next morning the travelers were to commence their journey, with the
unexpected addition of Miss Thusa's company part of the way. When her
baggage was brought down, to the consternation of all she had her wheel,
arrayed in a traveling costume of green baize, mounted on the top of
her trunk, and no reasoning or persuasion could induce her to leave it
behind.

"I'm not going to let the Goths