desired end had not a certain railroad company cast envious eyes upon
the level valley and forthwith sent long arms of steel bearing a puffing
engine up through the quiet village. A large tract of waste land
belonging to Reuben Gray suddenly became surprisingly valuable, and a
sum that trebled twice over the scanty savings of years grew all in a
night.

One crisp October day, Mr. and Mrs. Reuben Gray awoke to the fact that
they were a little under sixty years of age, and in possession of more
than the big sum of money necessary to enable them to carry out the
dreams of their youth. They began joyous preparations at once.

The big brick house at the top of the hill had changed hands twice
during the last forty years, and the present owner expressed himself as
nothing loath to part, not only with the house itself, but with many of
its furnishings; and before the winter snow fell the little brown
cottage was sold to a thrifty young couple from the neighboring village,
and the Grays took up their abode in their new home.

"Well, Em'ly, this is livin', now, ain't it?" said Reuben, as he
carefully let himself down into the depths of a velvet-covered chair in
the great parlor. "My! ain't this nice!"

"Just perfectly lovely," quavered the thin voice of his wife, as she
threw a surreptitious glance at Reuben's shoes to see if they were quite
clean enough for such sacred precincts.

It was their first evening in their new abode, and they were a little
weary, for they had spent the entire day in exploring every room,
peering into every closet, and trying every chair that the establishment