Westways

of civilisation took up land where the axe was needed for the forest and the rifle for the Indian.

years, others drifted westward on the tide of border migration, where adventure was always to be had. This stir of enterprise in a breed tends to extinction in the male lines. Men ar

entures of the China trade, was of the many who about 1800 bought great tracts of land on the farther slope of the Pennsylvania Alleghanies. His own purchases lay near and around the few hundred acres his ancestor took up and where an aged cousin was left in charge of the farm-house. When this tenant died, the house decayed, and the next Penhallow weary of being taxed for unproductive land spent a summer on the property, and with the aid of engineers found iron in plenty and soft coal. He began about

ereafter. The elder brother was graduated from West Point, served some years with distinction, and marrying found himself obliged to resign his captaincy on his father's death to take

along the side of the road opposite to Penhallow's woods, it had lost the bustling prosperity of a day when the Conestoga wagons stopped over-night at the "General Wayne Inn" and when as yet no one dreamed that the new railroad wo

ryland. A year or two of discomfort at Western army-posts and a busy-minded, energetic personality, made welcome to this little lady a position which provided unaccustomed luxuries and a limitless range of duties, such as were to her what mere social enjo

n Penhallow very little, but when they first came to Grey Pine the headings of her notepaper were matters of considerable curiosity to the straggling village of Westways, where she soon became liked, respected, and moderately feared. A busy-minded woman, few things in the

his uncle and guardian, James Penhallow, and after some delay crossed the sea in charge of his tutor. The dependent little fellow hid under a natural reserve what grief he felt, and accustomed to being sent here and there by an absent mother, s

er system of government he became self-attentive, careful of what he ate and extremely timid. There had been many tutors and only twice long residence at schools in Vevey and for a winter in Budapest. The health she too sedulously watched she was fast destroying, and her son was at the time of her death a thin, pallid, undersized boy, who disliked even the mild sports of French lads, and had been flattered and considered until he had acquired

ad said. It loomed large in his young imagination. Who would meet him? Probably a carriage with the liveried driver and the groom immaculate in white-topped boots, a fur cover on his arm. It would, of course, be Captain Penhallow who would make him welcome. Then the cold, which is hostile to imagination, made him shiver as he drew his thin cloak about him and watched the snow squadrons wind-driven and the big flakes blurring his view as they melted on the panes. By and by, two giggling young women near by made comments on his looks and dress. Fragments of their talk he overheard. It was not quite pleasant. "Law! ain't he got curly hair, and ain't he just like a girl doll," and so on in the lawless freedom of democratic feminine speech. The flat Morocco cap and large visor of the French schoolboy and the dark blue cloak with the silver clasp were subjects of comment. One of them offered peanuts or sugar-plums, which he declined

eep in gathering snow, which driven by a pitiless gale from the north blew his cloak about as he looked to see that his trunk had been delivered. A man shifted a switch and coming back said, "Gi'me your check." John decided that this was not safe, and to the man's amusement said that he would wait until the carriage of Captain Penhallow arrived. The man went away. John remained

," she cried, "I'm Leil

es has gone to the mill

here

ohn, his teeth cha

glance the low shoes, the blue cloak, the kid gloves, the

off and away to the trunk as he climbed in, helpless. She undid the counter check

e? My trunk, I

e he is now. Tuck in the rugs. Put this shawl around yo

omfy." The chilled boy

of this easy despot, but was somewhat indignant.

e driver, "be careful.

turned a big-featured head as he replied in an odd boyi

id John-"in

girl. "A ball's a big pill f

ere off and away throug

o put him at ease. The lessening snow still fell, but now a brilliant sun lighted the white

ove it?" said the small maid be

I do

suppose you don't know how to walk in snow-shoes, or

. Once I read abou

learn. I'l

me more comfortable began to resent the way in which the

be," she said. "

mber, fifteen. H

ue

hink." Now this

three days," she returned, with the accuracy of ch

France an

ary and France-Oh! the

he replied.

s I have a good accent when

, but, though more amused than annoyed, felt herself snubbed and was silent for a time. He was quick to perceive that he

say 'don't matter,' I say that sometimes

m really

hook her great mass of hair and cried merrily,

as the boy said, "I was

" she cried, punching the broad back of the dri

er, sold the Squire a horse that's spav

id Leila, "you

ss he felt, as he said,

ive on, Billy, b

ntervals Billy communicated bits of village gossi

" cried Leila.

t as the sleigh rocked about, w

ide. Look out, Billy! Our rector lives in that small house by the church. His name is Mark River

Crocker," she said, as the postmistress came out t

ve the thin face and the wrapped up form in the

"This is a boy-my cousin, Joh

is tha

d Leila. "Stop

, very black negro came out

ouse to-night. Un

come

t along,

e boy. He thought the lower

a. "He saved me once from a drea

ut merely remarked, "They

re's the gate. I'll get out and open it. It's

urs aside, John gas

to swing on gates, but I do. It shuts

and stood in the snow laughing. Surely this was an amazin

John, "I

gate when it's wide open an

resident of the

s candy and swin

ough the snow and stood holding the gate open while Billy drove through. She reflec

erest began to notice the grandeur of the rigid snow-laden pines of

Billy, go slowly when you make the short turn

vers are everywhere the same, and to come to the end of a dr

cried John, "w

leigh on its side, and the cousins disappeared in