Harry Blount, the Detective

cent residence of Mr. St. George Stafford. Yet Mr. Stafford-though an ardent lover of nature, sat down to breakfast, on this pa

d letter the frown vanished; to be replaced by an expression of surprise, as Mr. Staffor

d, he found his wife and daughter, whose attentio

, dark-eyed girl of about ninet

ost any minute! This letter, mailed only two days prior to his de

! What do

ge! What d

of his "women folks," as he called them, was too much for Mr. Staffor

d as this only served to increase Mr. Stafford'

te's future husband may arrive

erplexed and rather serious, whil

n't tease poor Kate! Tell us what this

ere great friends; and, as they played about the floor, Dick made some remark about it being a pity to part them; that it was probably their last night together-something of that sort. I, never dreaming he would take it seriously, said that we had better betroth them, as was done with children in olden times; but Dick seemed taken with the idea, and-well, the upshot of the matter was, that you, Miss Kate, and that little boy, were engaged before w

k at Kate, causing her to blush furi

exclaimed, while Mrs. Stafford

you still jesting? I can sc

aring!" and Mr. Stafford pointed to a prett

n a merry war-Kate declaring she was not at all curious, and certainly not anxious to see him, and scouting the idea of a ready-made husband, while Mr. Stafford kept t

not especially interested in any man. So wasting no time upon either, she set about that mysterious performance (to men) known as "changing her dress." This, at all events, must be a matter requiring tim

how curious I a