y've found him," I cried, rising to hear the song of the hounds.

Weston sat down on the log.

"They are making for the other ridge," said I, pointing over the narrow
gully. "Hark! There's young Colonel."

But Weston went on smoking. "Poor Tim!" I heard him say.

Full and strong rang the music of the dogs, as they swung out of the
hollow, up the ridge-side. For a moment, in the clearing, I had a
glimpse of them, Captain leading, with Betsy at his haunches, and Mike
and Major nose and nose behind them. Far in the rear, but in the
chase, was little Colonel. A grand puppy, he! All ears and feet. But
he runs bravely through the tangled brush. Many a stouter dog comes
from it with flanks all torn and bloody. I waved my hat wildly,
cheering him on. I called to him loudly, in the vain hope he might
look back, as though at a time like this a hound would turn from the
trail. On he went into the woods--nose to the ground and body low--all
feet and ears--and a stout heart!

"Now we must wait," I said, "and watch, and hope."

Already they had turned the crest of the hill, and fainter and fainter
came the sound of the chase.

"Mark," Weston began, "I hope this affair of Tim's turns out all right.
What little I can do shall be done, and to-night I'm going to write to
the office that they must help him along. He deserves it."

"But the poorer men are, the greater their love," I laughed. "With
money to marry, Tim might think that after all he'd better look around
more--take a choice."

"But Tim is the most serious person that ever was," returned Weston.
"I have found that out. Once he makes up his mind, there is no
changing it. He is full of ideas. He actually thinks that a man who
is in business is doing something praiseworthy; that a man who has
bought and sold merchandise at a profit all his life can fold his hands
when he dies and say; 'I have not lived in vain.' He does not know yet
that the larger estate a man leaves to his relatives the more useful
his life has been. Now I suppose he hopes some day to be a tea-king.
Perhaps he will. I hope so. I don't want the job. But once he has
picked out his queen, you can't change him by making marriage a
financial impossibility."

"Well, I'm certainly not protesting against your raising his salary,"
said I.

"You needn't. To tell the truth, it's too late. I wrote to the office
about that yesterday."

It was of no use to thank Weston for anything. I t