strangers to look for a wife."

"If I had been in thy place," said Mrs. Crowder, reflectively, "sometimes
I would have enjoyed a long rest of bachelordom; it would have been a
variety."

"Oh, I have had variety of that kind," said he. "For many succeeding
decades I have been widower, or bachelor, whichever you choose to call
it.

"As I was saying, this girl pleased me very much. She was good-looking,
bright, and witty, and her dark, flashing eyes won her a great deal of
attention from the young men of the place; but she would not have
anything to do with them. They could not boast much in regard to
intelligence or education, nor were any of them in very good
circumstances; and so, in spite of my years, she seemed to take very
kindly to me, and I made up my mind I would marry her the approaching
autumn. I had some money, and there was a house with a piece of land
for sale near the town. This I planned to buy, and to settle down as
an agriculturist. I was tired of school-teaching."

"No wonder," said Mrs. Crowder, "as thee intended to take out of it
its principal attraction."

"We were walking, one evening, over the fields, talking of astronomy,
in which she took a great interest, when we saw a man approaching who was
evidently a stranger. He was a fellow of medium height, but he gave the
impression of great size and vigor. As he came nearer, striding over the
rough places, and paying no attention to paths, I saw that he was very
broad-shouldered, with a heavy body and thick neck. His legs were probably