management of his affairs, and would have been embarrassed and
bewildered if obliged to shoulder the burden all at once.

The lawyer, who had always had an affection for the young man, perceived
this clearly; so an arrangement was made that he should remain with his
young friend indefinitely and strive to teach him such elements of
business as would enable him in time to attend to his extensive
interests understandingly and wisely.

The country around Elmhurst is thickly settled with agriculturists, for
the farms are rich and productive in that part of the state. But it is
not a flat country, and Nature has given it many pretty woodland glades
and rocky glens to add to its charm.

From the hill country at the west came several rushing streams which
tumbled along rocky paths to the river nine miles below Elmhurst, and
there are scenes along these routes that might well delight the eye of
an artist. Kenneth had often wandered into these out-of-the-way places
when a half-forgotten, neglected lad, but had not visited them for
years. Now, however, with the spirit of loneliness upon him, he suddenly
thought of a glen that would make an interesting study for a picture; so
one morning he mounted his horse and rode away to pay the place a
preliminary visit.

The farmers along the road nodded at the young fellow good-naturedly as
he passed them. Everyone knew him well by sight, yet Kenneth could not
have named many of his neighbors, having held little intercourse with
them. It struck him, this morning, that they had little cause to be
interested in him. He had been an unsociable lad, and since he had
become master of Elmhurst had done little to cultivate acquaintance with