Tracy Park

telegram and the ominous words, 'Send some one to meet us.' How slowly the minutes dragged until it was ten o'clock, and he knew that John had started f

riends, I believe,' he s

ety. I met him, however, in Paris four years ago, and found him very companionable and quite Europeanized in his manner a

well together. He was all-fired big feelin', and them days Peterkin was nowhere; but circumstances alter cases. He'll be glad to see me now, no doubt;' and

red with shame, but paled almost instantly as the outer door was opened by some one who did not seem to

ht was dark, but by the light from the engine and the office John saw the foreign-looking stranger, who stepped upon the platform, and felt sure it was his man. But there was no one with him, though it seemed a

Mr. Arthu

' was the not very

fetch you,' John replied. 'I think he ex

he looked rapidly around him, 'Where is she? Didn't you see her? She was wi

s he talked; while John, a good deal puzzled, looked curiously

ne with you in th

with me all the way,' Mr. Tracy replied. 'It is strange wh

. 'I was looking for you, and there was no one els

d, more cheerfully, 'she was asleep and c

k of his luggage, which lay upon the platform-a pile so immense that John l

aus, and a hat-box!' he said

all, and charged me a little fortune. I might as well have sent them by express; but I wanted them with me, and here they are. What

n the distance, who came forward, and, on learning what was wanted, begun piling the trunks into his wagon, while Arthur followed John, to the carria

, too, of the woman who, he said, had been with him in the train, and who should have ali

t you. If he had known that you were coming sooner, he would have done different; but he did not get your

ohn spoke of a break-down, he lifted his head quickly, and the great black eyes, whi

wn? What

Tracy is running for Con

a ghost of a smile, which, faint as it

ress-suit in some of those trunks. Frank is going to Congress, is

he night would admit, while the passenger inside sat with his hat over his eyes, and his chin almost touching h

t will she do alone in a strange place? But perhaps Heaven will take care of her. She alw

before the house, from every window of which lights were flashin

s idea came into Arth

her does not come to meet me,' he said, as he descended from the carriage and went up the broad

the hall; and thus it was that the first intimation which Frank had of his arrival was whe

I did not hear the carriage, though I was listening for it. I am so glad to see you! Come wi

ne to the side door; and thus relieved from a load of anxiety, he was very cordial in his manner,

t, and beginning to lave his face, and neck, and hands in the cold water which he turned into t

g his fingers through his luxuriant hair, which had a habit of curling around his forehead as in his boyhood, looked full at his brother, who saw that he was very pale and thin, and that his eyes were unnaturally large and bright, while there was about him an indescribable so

and tired. Are you n

me up to fever pitch all the time. I shall have to bathe my face again,' and, turning a sec

emember right, there is no bath-room on this floor, but I can soon have one built. I intend to

ght to tear the house down if he chose. The second washing must have cooled him, for there came a change in his mann

ank said, after having made some ex

in, who you say is a millionaire. I suppose you want his influence; your coachman told me you were running for Congress,' and Arthur laughed the old me

even the next morni

e there. She was in the train with me, and should have gotten

rank stammered, while the cold

something, and mischief, too, to h

e a look of cunning, and a peculiar smi

that the carriage go

s heart Frank left the room and returned to his guests and his wife, who had not seen the stranger

ispered to her, whil

he a

rrow; I do not know who; Gretchen,

repeated, in a trembl

t the color from his wife's cheeks, and made her so faint and sick that she would have given much to

a London tailor, and, arraying himself in it, stood for a moment before the glass to see the effect. Everything was faultless, from his neck-tie to his boots; and, opening the door, he went out into the hall, which was empty, except

furniture and its arrangement in the hall. 'That violinist ought to be hung-the pianist, too! Don't they know what ho

rd Harold, who was now wide awake and stood up to meet him. As Arthur met the clear-brown eyes fixed so curiously upon him, he st

boy, what are y

which way to go,' w

thur continued. '

and into the large, bright eyes, an expression which made the boy stand back a littl

he was; but I hate him now. And he was your father, and

a-se par,"' Harold said, in a frightened voice; and Arth

ught to have been my

arold stammered, too much alarmed now to know

and seizing Harold's coat-collar, he swung him over the banister as if he had been a feather, while the boy struggled and fought, and he

voice and Harold's as if in altercation. Excusing himself from those around him, he haste

een doing?' he asked the boy

me and asked me who I was, and when I told him, he was going to ch

glittered in his eyes, as he stood up, brave and

d, Arthur?'

ing produced a wonderful effect upon his brother, whose mood changed at o

instant; there is such a heat in my head, and the crash of that m

e of Arthur Tracy's smile, and Harold took the o

hy you wanted to th

' was Arthur's reply, as he took his brother's

t was nearly midnight. He was very tired and sleepy, and his head was aching terribly. He could not see the dancing. He had had not

here another m

wn a back stairway, he was soon in the open air, and runni

th those who knew him best. Every trace of excitement had disappeared, and had he been master of ceremonies himself, at whose bidding the guests were there, he could not have been more gracious or affable. Even old Peterkin, when

s goin' to Europe some time, and hang me if I don't put on style when I come home. I'd kind of l

t, too, I guess, he said: 'but them days is past, and the old captain is past with them. I dabbled a little in ile, and if I do say it, I could about buy up the whole canal if I wanted to; but I ain't an atom proud, a

at this tirade, which had assumed the form

ever created, and though you've got a new coat of paint onto you, and can set still all day and do nothing while I can wear the finest broadcloth and set still, too, it won't do for us to forget the pit from which we was dug, and I don't forget it neither, no more than I forgit favors shown when I was not fust cut. You, sir, rode on the 'Liza Ann with that crony of yours-Hastings was his name-and you paid me han'some, though I didn't ask

n,' Arthur said, softly

nd he glowered threateningly at two or three young men in white kids a

his wet face with his handkerchief, when Arthur, who

ceeds, will, I am sure, owe his success to your influence, and be grateful in p

from home, but'-and he lowered his voice: a little-'I don't mind saying that if there should be a chance, I'd like th

th Arthur. It was between one and two o'clock in the morning when the party finally broke up, and, as the Peterkins had been the first to arrive, so they were the last to leave, an

d 'twas my Indian shawl, too, and gold

aps were found in the ladies' room, where Harold had carried the

she found Harold Hastings fumbling them over, and that she sent him out with a sharp reprimand. Harold was then looked for and could not be found, for he had been at home and in bed for a

d at once for his room, but stopped at the

ge at the station at seven o'clo

,' was Fra

rs. Tra

s Gret

they heard him for a long time walking about, opening and shutting windows, locki

to retire. 'Quite like a foreigner, but how bright his eyes are, and they look at you sometimes as

e remark that he was very tired, he stepped into bed, and was just falling into a quiet sleep when there came a knock up

ting round for it. There is nothing worse to breathe than gas, whethe

ittle crossly. 'Had a new

sure I smell it,' Arthur said. 'I think I shall have all the waste-pipes w

, and Frank was settling down again to sleep when the

o the station to meet Gretchen. She is very timid, and does not

ssly on their pillows, Frank wondering what ailed his brother, and D