an Tea over, my companions bade me a civil good evening, and rustled away into a private parlour, where I soon heard them laughing and chattering over the reminiscenses of the pic-nic, with the landlord and a conclave of other Galpins for listeners. As for me, I had nothing better to do than to go into the bar-room and smoke a lonesome segar. The young man who had shown me to my room came in, asked me what time it was, looked at my watch, enquired the price of it, wanted to know whether it was a present, and, in short, proved himself to be a person of remarkably inquisitive temperament. Having satisfied the first hunger of his curiosity, he sat down opposite me, canted his chair backwards, crossed his legs, joined his hands over his head and surveyed me from top to toe. A lounging and rather slatternly lord's daughter, and that it was her fellow of about twenty-three, show- duty to make her father's guests ed me to a large clean room in the comfortable not only in body, but second story. Coming down again in mind. On the whole, I flattered in a little while, I devoured such myself that I had made an impression enormous repast of beefsteaks upon the young ladies as well as and delicious muffins, that I am upon the beefsteak and muffins, truly ashamed to call it tea, and think it ought to be made known to posterity under the name of dinner. There was no one at table besides myself and two young ladies, who, as I learned from their conversation, had just returned from a pic-nic. One of them, a fat and jolly girl of seventeen, was the landlord's daughter. The other, who seemed to be an intimate friend of hers, was perhaps two years older, and struck me as the most splendid specimen that I had ever seen of that type of creation, known to admiring physicists as the country beauty. She had Grecian features, a laughing coral mouth, a brilliant blonde complexion, clear hazel eyes, curling auburn hair, and a most coquettish expression, which varied between indolent pride and good-natured archness. Her pink muslin dress was audaciously cut, so as to expose all the dazzling glory of her smooth white shoulders and magnificently rounded arms. I think that I ate my last three muffins chiefly for the sake of sitting longer in her company. Perhaps she ate one on my account, although I hardly dared hope it. I ventured to pass her the butter, and to make a remark or two concerning the scenery of Sandford, of which, by the way, I was profoundly ignorant, inasmuch as it fell dark some time before I reached the village. In reply she was good enough to offer me the molasses, and to admit with a polite smile the general accuracy of my observations. The other girl talked rather more, no doubt remembering that she was the land "Are you the landlord's son ?" I asked, more to stop his staring than because I cared whose progeny he was. "No-bar-keeper-only been here a month. My name's John Lum." "Who is that young lady in the pink dress?" I enquired, just in time to prevent him from demand ing my nomenclature. 46 'Nelly Mason-old Square Mason's only daughter. Lives in the big brick house just round the corner." Without devoting a considerable space to it, I could not possibly give an idea of the wholly discouraging tone and expression with which he made this statement concerding the big brick house. It was the same as to say that Squire the Galpins, to her next pic-nic. Mason was the social nabob of the I look upon that pic-nic as one of place, and that no nameless won- the nicest things that ever came der like myself, dressed in brown about in what is commonly called linen and carrying a carpet bag for this world of sin and sorrow. Not sole luggage, should take the auda being acquainted with the other cious liberty of showing an interest belles of Sandford, I conceived that in so great a personage's only I had a special claim on Miss Madaughter. I confess that I was son, and I pushed for my rights somewhat annoyed by this insinua- with such truly American vigour, ted disparagement of my appear- that she soon conceded them, callance, and consequently forbore to ing on me alone to draw her corks, push my enquiries about Miss Nelly and taking my arm whenever she Mason. No man likes to be des- wanted help to clamber a hillock. pised, not even by a bar-keeper. After reaching home, while resting Leaving my slatternly friend as on the veranda, I was delightfully soon as my segar was out, I went interested in overhearing a goodto bed and slept like a demi-god, in humoured spat which took place spite of Miss Nelly Mason and that between Miss Mason and Miss Galdevoured multitude of muffins. I pin in the parlour. was about to say that I slept like an infant, but several happy fathers have assured me, with tears in their eyes, that infants are given to catnaps, whatever bachelor poets may sing to the contrary. I find that it will not do to go into all the interesting particulars of this story. Time flies, man dies, and writers must abbreviate. But to make the public fully understand the disagreeableness of the situation in which I presently found myself, it is absolutely necessary to state that I became quite well acquainted with Miss Nelly Mason. Sometimes I saw her at the hotel, whither she came frequently to exchange confidences and compare notes on dress-making with her intimate friend, Marietta Galpin. Then I had the good luck one afternoon to meet her on the beach just at the commencement of a thunder shower, and so to gallant her home under the protection of my umbrella, with her large white arm folded warm over mine, and her bright eyes laughing in my face at the wetting we were catching. Finally, taking pity on my loneliness, she invited me, through "I'll tell your papa; I surely will," said Miss Galpin. "Stop your nonsense. What will you tell him?" returned Miss Mason. "He'll be writing up to Stockbridge, to enquire about somebody," continued Miss Galpin. "You are a little goosey, goosey, goosey," asseverated Miss Mason. Here there were two or three soft slaps, a rustling scuffle, and a thump of somebody falling upon the sofa, all closing in a burst of giggling. Such was the pleasant condition of things, when a terrible complication arrived in the incidents of my life at Sandford. I could not sleep that evening after the pic-nic, and in fact I did not try, but sat in my room until midnight, looking out upon the dim, star-lit landscape as I thought over the adventures of the afternoon. One corner of Squire Mason's house was visible from my window, and I could see that a light was still burning in one of the chambers. That must be Miss Nelly's room, I thought; the old folks would be in bed long be fore this. Of a sudden it occurred to me that it would be a delightful method of passing my time to get out of the hotel, run round the corner, and walk up and down before the brick house, looking at that lighted window. Youth is prompt, at least in such matters; and I soon found myself in the darkness of the lower story. As it did not seem quite fair to unlock the front door, and leave the Galpins exposed to any chance depredator who should pass down the street, I groped my way softly to a back window, opened it, and leaped into the garden. In two minutes more I was standing behind the trunk of one of the great elms which brooded with their vast breezy pinions over the door-yard of Squire Mason. The front window of the lamp-lit chamber was open, and I could see a figure in white sitting just within it, the head bent, as if reading, while waves of auburn hair curled down the shoulders, and concealed the features. Presently, a little hand put them back, and showed me the fair, delicately chiseled face of Nelly Mason. She read on, and I watched on, for many minutes. Would her heart have beat, if she had known where mine was, and how it was throbbing? After a time which seemed to me both very long and very short, she rose, buttoned the broad white collar of her night-dress, and leaned out of the window, seeming to fix her eyes full upon me. I slunk behind the rough trunk of the old elm; and when I looked again, the light was out and the window untenanted. Perhaps I stayed there five or ten minutes longer, hoping that she would relight her lamp and resume her reading; it was very foolish, I dare say, but it was also very natural, at least, in a young fellow. At last, giving up such hope, if I had it, I left the spot and hurried back to the hotel, very much afraid, all at once, that I should get caught out, and so run the risk of being considered a suspicious character. Mr. Galpin, like most amiable and charitable-minded persons, kept no horrid watch-dog on his premises. I, therefore, made my way through the garden without disturbance, reached the open window, got into it noiselessly, and already began to thank my stars for the good luck which had attended the adventure. Just at this moment, the trap of evil destiny was sprung upon me. The window-spring had been bent, and it cost me two full minutes of fumbling and pulling before I could get it to work, so as to let the sash down to its place. I was still busy upon it, when a light glimmered in the office, and the housekeeper, half-dressed, rushed into the pas sage where I stood, shouting, "Mr. Galpin! Mr. Galpin! burglars!" With a desperate effort I broke forever the spirit of that rebellious spring, brought the window down with a crash, and bounded up a back stairway which led circuitously to my chamber. Even in that quick transit, however, I felt rather than saw, that Mr. Galpin was in the passage, and that he had recognized me. I thought of going back to tell him that his alarm was groundless, but naturally I was somewhat bashful about running even the remotest chance of having the object of my sortie suspected, and so I hurried to my room on the quietest of tiptoes. There was a good deal of loud talking and a good deal of stirring below stairs, for half an hour after. At last, I got angry to hear them go on so about such a trifle, and dressed myself again with the intention of stepping down and explaining the whole matter as far as I could, without alluding to my stay under the window of Miss Nelly Mason. Just as I had flung my coat on, there came a gentle tap at the door, and Mr. Galpin put it ajar. His broad, rosy, kindly countenance was quite discomposed, showing some anger, as I thought, struggling with a strong feeling of pity, and over all, an almost laughable expression of wondering enquiry. 66 "I beg your pardon," he muttered. Sorry to disturb you, but something serious has happened. Perhaps you couldwell, won't you step down a minute?" He wheeled and descended hastily to the office, while I followed him, so puzzled that I could not offer a word. The office was a little snuggery, cut off from the bar room by a counter, with a writing desk and a safe on one side, and on the other a door which opened by an entry into the bed room of the bar-keeper. Inside the counter stood John Lum, his yellow face quite pale now, and his eyes wandering excitedly. Outside were all the other members of the family, from Mrs. Galpin and Marietta to the cook, the chambermaid and the hostler. When I appeared they stopped talking and gazed at me with a disagreeable sort of attention, while the landlord led me into the office, raised his candle to the window, and, fixing his eyes on mine, said, "look there!" I saw at once that a pane of glass in the lower sash had been cut out and taken away, leaving only a splinter or two which still stuck fast in the putty. I surveyed it with real astonishment, of course, and then gave Mr. Galpin a stare of enquiry. "Now look here," he continued, pointing at the safe, but still watching my eyes, "this has been opened to night, and ninety-seven dollars taken from it." "Indeed! that is a very bad busi ness," I returned, while I felt the blood rushing into my face. "Now who took that money?" asked the bar-keeper, advancing suddenly upon me, and then turning away to the window, as if he thought that I looked dangerous. "What I want to know of you is, who took that money?" "I don't know," said I. "I am as ignorant as anybody can be." There was a moment of silence, only disturbed by some unpleasant whispering in the company outside of the office. I saw that they all suspected me, and I resolved to tell my story frankly, excepting only what pertained to Miss Nelly Ma son. "Mr. Galpin, I see what you are "It is quite thinking of," I began. natural. I have been out to night at an unusual hour, and in a singu lar way. It is right that you should have some suspicions of me, especially as I am a stranger. I did not cut this glass out, however, nor open your safe, nor take your went out for a walk. I did not money. I could not sleep, and I fear of exactly some such thing as like to open your front door, for this. Your back door is down a flight of steps, and I was afraid of falling. So I took to a window." ing on't," broke in John Lum, "I "I know that without you're tellsaw you getting in there." "You did?" said I. "I am much obliged to you for that fact. Now, Mr. Galpin, is it likely that I would jump out of one window for the sake of breaking into another? Don't you see that, if I wanted to get at your safe, I would have gone straight to it through the bar room? There was nothing to prevent me." "Yes, that's very true; exactly so," murmured the landlord, his eyes beginning to fall away from my face. "Oh, but you-I mean who- take an opportunity to slide the ever took the money-he wanted money into my carpet bag or under to make believe he belonged on the mattress, thus saving himself the outside," interposed John Lum, at the cheap cost of ruining me. eagerly. He sat down on the counter and stared at me sullenly, while the others went off on their respective errands. "And why may he not have belonged there?" I asked. "What proof have you that it wasn't some stroller?" 66 Certainly oh yes," answered Mr. Galpin, speaking louder and cheering up a little. "I don't think it could. I know it could'nt have been any one of us. I feel relieved; I do, indeed. It must have been some vagabond or other; some burglar from New York, perhaps." "Well, yes, might have been them pedlers," admitted Lum, rather sullenly. "What pedlers?" I asked. "Well, two foreign fellows, Germans, I expect, come in here about four o'clock, ate some cheese and crackers, asked for lager beer and finally put off again. Perhaps they came back when it got darkish, and went through this perform ance." 66 Yes, yes, very likely," assented the landlord, who was now quite bent upon setting me at my ease. "At all events," said I, "I want my own innocence made as clear as possible. Come up to my room, Mr. Galpin and search it." "Not at all, by no means," he protested. "I won't think of such a thing." "You must," I insisted. "Let your wife and daughter assist you. Come, ladies, please to follow Mr. Galpin; you will do me a great favour. Mr. Lum will stay here and stand guard over me. As for the hostler, let him tackle a horse into the buggy and get ready to follow up the pedlers." I kept the bar-keeper by me in this way, because I suspected him of being the thief, and feared that, if be got into my room, he would "Look here," said I. "I bear you no ill-will. The money was in your care; you feel somewhat responsible for it; your own character, too, is at stake in the matter; so it is ver、 natural that you should want to find the thief. You and I are equally interested in discovering him, and we must work together till we do it. Will you strike hands on that?" "Oh, I dare say it might have been the pedlers," he muttered. The Galpins came back after twenty minutes or so, shook hands with me and begged my pardon for having doubted me a moment. I thought, however, that the ladies were still shy, and that they made their acknowledgements in a rather dry way, as if they only did it in obedience to the commands of their household head. Women are more suspicious of trickery than men, because they are themselves more given to dissembling." "Well, John, now for the pedlers," said Mr. Galpin, who was quite pleasant again, as if he had found ninety-seven dollars instead of having lost them. "I dare say they stopped at Bill Munson's. He often keeps." The buggy coming up to the door at that moment, the landlord, bar-keeper and hostler drove off together. Mrs. and Miss Galpin went to their rooms, chiefly to get rid of my company, as I believe, for they did not go to bed for an hour after. I walked up and down the bar room alone until the detective expedition returned. "Well, no luck," sighed Mr. Gal |