sent for it, which he
commonly did. Its natural course was to try for admission into some one
of the popular magazines: into "The Sifter," the most fastidious of them
all; if that declined it, into "The Second Best;" and if that returned
it, into "The Omnivorous." If it was refused admittance at the doors of
all the magazines, it might at length find shelter in the corner of a
newspaper, where a good deal of very readable verse is to be met with
nowadays, some of which has been, no doubt, presented to the Pansophian
Society, but was not considered up to its standard.

X. A NEW ARRIVAL.

There was a recent accession to the transient population of the village
which gave rise to some speculation. The new-comer was a young fellow,
rather careless in his exterior, but apparently as much at home as if he
owned Arrowhead Village and everything in it. He commonly had a cigar
in his mouth, carried a pocket pistol, of the non-explosive sort, and
a stick with a bulldog's head for its knob; wore a soft hat, a
coarse check suit, a little baggy, and gaiterboots which had been
half-soled,--a Bohemian-looking personage, altogether.

This individual began making explorations in every direction. He was
very curious about the place and all the people in it. He was especially
interested in the Pansophian Society, concerning which he made all
sorts of inquiries. This led him to form a summer acquaintance with the
Secretary, who was pleased to give him whatever information he asked
for; being proud of the Society, as she had a right to be, and knowing
more about it than anybody else.

The visitor could not have been long in the village without hearing
something of Maurice Kirkwood, and the stories, true and false,
connected with his name. He questioned everybody who could tell him
anything about Maurice, and set down the answers in a little note-book
he always had with him.

All this naturally excited the curiosity of the village about this
new visitor. Among the rest, Miss Vincent, not wanting in an attribute
thought to belong more especially to her sex, became somewhat interested
to know more exactly who this inquiring, note-taking personage, who
seemed to be everywhere and to know everybody, might himself be. Meeting
him at the Public Library at a fortunate moment, when there was nobody
but the old Librarian, who was hard of hearing, to interfere with their
conversation, the little Secretary had a chance to try to find out
som