share of attention, but they stood longest before bakeries and
restaurants. Finally, upon coming to one of the latter, where an
enticing sign announced "Boiled Dinner To-day, Served Hot at All
Hours," Reuben could endure it no longer.

"By Jinks, Em'ly, I've just got to have some of that. That stodged-up
mess I ate at the hotel didn't go to the spot at all. Come on, let's
have a good square meal."

The hotel knew them just one night. The next morning before breakfast
Reuben manfully paid his--to him astounding--bill and departed for more
congenial quarters, which they soon found on a neighboring side street.

The rest of the visit was, of course, delightful, only the streets were
pretty crowded and noisy, and they couldn't sleep very well at night;
moreover, Reuben lost his pocketbook with a small sum of money in it;
so, on the whole, they concluded to go home a little before the two
weeks ended.

When spring came Nancy returned to her former mistress, and her vacant
throne remained unoccupied. Little by little the dust gathered on the
big velvet chairs in the parlor, and the room was opened less and less.
When the first green things commenced to send tender shoots up through
the wet, brown earth, Reuben's restlessness was very noticeable. By and
by he began to go off very early in the morning, returning at noon for a
hasty dinner, then away again till night. To his wife's repeated
questioning he would reply, sheepishly, "Oh, just loafin', that's all."

And Emily was nervous, too. Of late she had taken a great fancy to a
daily walk, and it always led in one direction--down past the little