as a part of
the 'fortune of war.' He neither whimpered nor made wry faces. So, when
Dr. Chellis heard the words, 'Aleck, I am in trouble,' he knew they
meant a great deal. He took his seat, not in his accustomed place, but
on the sofa close to his friend, and turning on him an anxious,
sympathizing look, he said, in a tone gentler than a woman's, 'What is
it, Harry?'

'Harry' told him the whole. The burden of all his thoughts was his
daughter, and his lip quivered when he spoke of her love for the man who
had proved to be so base, and of the effect the disappointment might
have on her.

When he had concluded, Dr. Chellis started to his feet and began to pace
up and down the room with great energy, exclaiming, 'God be praised! God
be praised! God be praised!'

'For what, Aleck, for what?' inquired Mr. Tenant, rising anxiously from
his seat and attempting to place himself before his friend, and thus
intercept a response; 'do tell me for what?'

This time they met in the middle of the room; the Doctor no longer
avoided his companion, but responded, with emphasis, 'For the escape! I
tell you, Harry, it should be the happiest day of your life! yes, the
happiest day of your life! Do you hear me?'

For Mr. Tenant did not appear to comprehend what the other was saying.

'I tell you,' continued the Doctor, 'Emma's engagement has been a
perpetual source of sorrow to me. Yet I had nothing definite to urge
against it, nothing, in fact, but what might be called a prejudice,
which it would have been unjust to speak of--and--but--the fact is, I
knew,' burst forth the now fairly enraged Doctor, interrupting himself
and marching off again at double quick, 'I knew the fellow was a scamp,
ever since he came whimpering to me about his conviction and God's
providence, wonderful conversion, and so on. Conversion! I'll convert
him!'

The Doctor's right hand opened and shut as if enclosing in its grasp the
collar of Hiram's coat.

Mr. Tenant meantime kept standing in the middle of the room, trying in
vain to bring the Doctor again to a halt. Whether he would have
succeeded will not be known, for a knock at the door served to effect
the purpose, while his sharp, angry 'Come in' so terrified the servant
girl that she opened it barely wide enough to enable her to announce, in
a faint tone, Mr. Meeker.'

'Ask him into the parlor,' said the Doctor, in his natural voice, 'I
will see him presently.'

Then he turned, and in his usual ma