information that an intoxicated man was sitting upon the steps of the
side-hill house. She met mamma and Ida starting for a little stroll,
and communicated this unpleasant news to them. Mamma, however, is not
timid, and she walked on with Ida, determined to view the invader from
afar, and then summon Bernard to dismiss him.

A figure was sitting, as Gabrielle said, upon the piazza of the new
house, but was so motionless that Ida exclaimed laughingly:

"It is a scarecrow placed there by some one in retaliation for our
notice to trespassers to keep off the grounds."

As they passed it, however, the scarecrow slowly lifted its head and
addressed them with:

"Is this Mr. Greeley's place?"

"Yes," said mamma.

"And is this young lady Miss Ida?"

"Yes."

"You have received, I believe, a few letters from me, Miss Ida: my name
is Hudson."

Fortunately our family are not of a fainting disposition, for a
_tête-à-tête_ with a lunatic was a situation requiring some nerve and
perfect self-control; so, although mamma and Ida were much alarmed upon
learning the name of their visitor, they neither screamed nor fainted,