am not sure I understand fully about the mortgage. Please tell me the exact amount of your claim upon my estate, and the terms by which I can retain it.”

In her thankfulness for this mercy she thought comparatively little of the obligation she had incurred, although her family arrangements were made with reference to the liquidation of the debt. She lived even more frugally than before; but sickness and other untoward events had made it impossible for her to do this. For three years not even the interest had been paid, and now the amount saved for this purpose was hardly sufficient to pay the funeral expenses. Elsie Dunlap found herself sole heir of an encumbered estate which, if sold under the hammer, would leave her penniless. She was energetic and capable. She possessed a strong will and much force of character; but, for the time she was nearly paralyzed by the sudden blow which had fallen upon her. Now, Aunt Jane's presence and homely counsel had done so much to reassure her, that she met Mr. Greenleaf with becoming dignity.

"My dear Elsie, how charmingly you are looking," he said blandly, "I could not deny myself the pleasure of coming early. I am to be out of town for a few days, and I thought it would be pleasant for us both to have everything definitely arranged between us. You will have no further trouble about the mortgage, and I-I shall have a fair and happy bride." "What do you mean," now asked the young girl, recovering from her surprise at his audacity.

"You know what I mean, my dear," he replied with a smirk, which was intended to be a smile. “I did not expect you to accept my proposal at once. Perhaps I should have thought you wanting in maidenly modesty, if you had; but now you have had time for consideration, and I am impatient for your final answer."

"I am too young to marry," she said hesitatingly, remembering the charge

"It is a waste of words, my dear, but I wish to please you;" and he proceeded to give her the desired information, even yielding to her request to make the statement in writing.

She read it, thanked him, and placed the paper in her pocket, saying: "I think I can pay the interest before the first of December; and if I do, I can still remain here."

In order to seall annoyance, see I have re

"If the taxes are paid. cure myself and save you I have paid them. You gard for your interests. You will give me the promise I desire, Elsie?" and he rose from the chair in which he was sitting, as though he would go nearer to her.

"What promise?" she asked, springing to her feet.

"The promise that you will be my wife. You shall have everything that heart can wish. I will surround you

with luxury and make your life a long holiday. As my wife, you will not need to work, or calculate how money is to be

made."

"But your wife did work," responded Elsie with provoking coolness. "I have always heard that she worked hard and never had a cent of money to spend without being called to account for it. I am too independent for that."

What Peter Greenleaf thought my readers may imagine. What he said

was:

"When my wife was living, I was a poorer man than I am now. She was a worthy woman, but we were not altogether congenial. In a second marriage I should hope to realize what was denied me in the first."

There was an expression of scorn upon the rosy lips of Elsie Dunlap, and a flashing of the dark eyes which boded ill to her suitor.

"Have a care, my dear," he said in well modulated tones. "You have other debts and other debtors. I must be your husband or your enemy. You can choose

"There, I knew you wouldn't, for all she said there wan't many poor girls that had such a chance. We don't care if we are poor, do we?"

"We will try not to care. Now tell me what you have been doing to-day, and what company you have had."

"I didn't have anybody but Cam Bassett to work with me, and he didn't talk much, though he worked like a house-afire. He's growing handsome and I like him. He said grandmother was his best friend. I didn't know that before, did you?"

"No, indeed, but she was a friend to every one. I am glad he remembers her kindly." "So am I. After dinner, he asked me if I thought you'd ever marry Mr. Greenleaf,and I told him I knew you wouldn't, any sooner than you'd marry him, and I guessed not half so soon."

"Why, Regis ;" and a blush suffused the sister's cheek, which he did not see. Mr. Eldridge had fulfilled his promise to pray for his young parishioners, and waited for some token that his prayers had been heard, when Cameron Bassett was shown into his study.

"I don't see you very often," he said, in a tone which expressed the surprise he felt at receiving so unexpected a visit."

"No, sir, but I thought 'twas right for me to come, because I could trust you not to tell."

"Not to tell what, my young friend?" After looking a moment into the clergyman's face, as if to assure himself that his confidence was not misplaced, the visitor proceeded to make known his business with a straight-forward earnestnestness one could hardly have believed possible to him.

Five years before he had drifted into the quiet country town, a poor, ignorant boy. Since then, he had done the hardest, coarsest work uncomplainingly, yet always stipulating for wages which were so faithfully earned, that they could not be refused. He was kind and obliging, but few thought of him except when present, and then only as of a servant.

"I don't know why I came here, only I happened to," he said in reply to a

question asked by Mr. Eldridge. "I followed the river, and when I got opposite Mrs. Bradshaw's, I was so hungry, I went up to the house and asked her to give me something to eat and let me work and pay for it. She did, and talked to me besides, and the talk was better than the bread and milk. She told me what I could do if I tried, and I've tried ever since. I couldn't go to school and meeting like other boys, but I've done the best I knew how. I've saved some money, and I want you to take it and pay Mr. Greenleaf on that mortgage as far as 'twill go, until I can earn some more to finish up. Will you do it, sir?"

"I am not sure that I ought to. You need this money for yourself. You saved it for a special purpose."

"Yes, sir, I saved it to buy a piece of land, but I can wait for that, I ain't too old to start again."

"But Elsie might object to your doing

this."

"I'm afraid she would, but you see, she ain't to know it. That's why I come to you, because I thought you wouldn't tell. They've all done me more than that worth good. I don't think I'd ever had the money but for what Mrs. Bradshaw said to me; so in a way, it belongs to her, and that mortgage must be paid. It must, Mr. Eldridge."

"It shall be paid, every dollar of it. I will try to raise what is lacking of the full amount and consider you my debtor for the balance."

"Yes, sir, do, and I will bring you the money as fast as I earn it. You can trust me. I always do as I say."

"I believe you, and shall be glad to see you, even if you have no money to bring."

"Thank you," and as the young man thus acknowledged the courtesy of his host, his eyes wandered to a plain book case filled to overflowing.

"Do you care for books?" was asked. "Yes,sir, more than I care for anything else. When I came here, I only knew the letters, but I've learned since."

"What have you learned?"

"All I could. I bought an old arithmetic and I've been through it. It was hard work; but I kept at it, till I fin

ished up every sum. I bought a grammar, too, and a geography."

"Have you studied alone?"

"Yes. sir, there wan't any other way for me."

"Do you read books ?"

“Yes, sir, all I can get; and Cameron Bassett forgot his usual reserve, as he was led to speak of the hopes and desires which had made him what he was. "You see, sir, I had it all to do myself, except what Mrs. Bradshaw helped me. She didn't know how much I owed her. I never told her. I meant to, but I didn't. When she died I was sorry I hadn't. wish she knew."

I

"Perhaps she does know. God knows, Do

and he is the one most interested. you read the Bible?"

"Yes, sir, the first book I ever read was a Testament Mrs. Bradshaw gave me. She said 'twas best of all."

"But you have never come to hear the preaching and praying and singing Sundays."

"No, sir, perhaps I don't rightly understand about it. Sunday was my resting and studying day, and there didn't anybody ask me to go to meeting."

"May God forgive us," ejaculated the clergyman fervently. "Let me help you now. You are welcome to the use of any of my books, and I shall be glad to give you any assistance in my power. What books have you read?"

"I've read about Hugh Miller, and I thought I had as good a chance for learning as he had."

You have, and I hope you will be as grand and famous as he was."

"I don't expect that. He had more that belonged to him;" and the young man tapped his forehead with his finger. "But I'll do what I can. If you'll allow me to take a book, I will, sir."

counted also the cost at which he could supply the amount required to balance the mortgage. He must wear a threadbare coat still longer, and deny himself the purchase of some much coveted books; yet he did not regret his decision. The next day Aunt Jane appeared bringing her small hoard which, however, was not needed.

"Then I'll lend it to Elsie to pay up on the taxes, and she can make out the money to pay me back fore winter's through," ," said the good woman, joyously. "It's all come round just right. But you hain't told me how you got the money to pay up the mortgage, nor how you calkerlate it's goin' to be paid back."

"I have made no calculations in regard to that, and you must excuse me if I decline telling you anything further about it."

"I will; and on [the whole I don't want you to. I'll just think the Lord done it, and thank him for my ignorance. There's good things happenin' all round. I'm goin' to have somebody to be in the house with me nights this winter, so 'twill seem more like livin', and then there'll be somebody to do for. I guess my neighbors'll come in for a share of help. There's helpful and on-helpful times, Mr. Eldridge, and it's likely to me we've had on-helpful ones long enough for just now. Peter Greenleaf's gone, so you'll have to wait for him to come back; but there won't be no harm done while he's gone. He's missed his calculations once."

Possibly he feared this; for he remained away but two days, and on his return went directly to the cottage of Elsie Dunlap, fully resolved not to leave it until he had obtained her promise to marry him the following week. He was not to be thwarted by a young girl's caprice, and, moreover, he fancied that he really loved his fair debtor. He carried with him a gift, which it is but justice to say would have propitiated many disposed to be unrelenting; yet he experienced some embarrassment when he found himself in