te that the old residents should call first upon the newcomers.
Many and varied duties in connection with the practice of my profession
have hitherto--" His eyes sought the portrait over the mantel. "A most
excellent likeness of your worthy uncle," he continued, irrelevantly, "a
gentleman with whom, as I understand, you never had the pleasure and
privilege of becoming acquainted."

"I never met Uncle Ebeneezer," rejoined Harlan, "but mother told me a
great deal about him and we had one or two pictures--daguerreotypes, I
believe they were."

"Undoubtedly, my dear sir. This portrait was painted from his very last
daguerreotype by an artist of renown. It is a wonderful likeness. He was
my Colonel--I served under him in the war. It was my desire to possess a
portrait of him in uniform, but he would never consent, and would not
allow anyone save myself to address him as Colonel. An eccentric, but very
estimable gentleman."

"I cannot understand," said Harlan, "why he should have left the house to
me. I had never even seen him."

"Perhaps," smiled Mr. Bradford, enigmatically, "that was his reason, or
rather, perhaps I should say, if you had known your uncle more intimately
and had visited him here, or, if he had had the privilege of knowing
you--quite often, as you know, a personal acquaintance proves
disappointing, though, of course, in this case----"

The old gentleman was floundering helplessly when Harlan rescued him. "I
want you to meet my wife, Mr. Bradford. If you will excuse me, I will call
her."

Left to himself, the visitor slipped back and forth uneasily upon his
haircloth chair, and took occasion to observe Claudius Tiberius, who sat
near by and regarded the guest unblinkingly. Hearing approaching
footsteps, he took out his worn silk handkerchief, unfolded it, and wiped
the cold perspiration from his legal brow. In his heart of hearts, he
wished he had not come, but Dorothy's kindly greeting at once relieved him
of all embarrassment.

"We have been wondering," she said, brightly, "who would be the first to
call upon us, and you have come at exactly the right time. New residents
are always given two weeks, are they not, in which to get settled?"

"Quite so, my dear madam, quite so, and I trust that you are by this time
fully accustomed to your changed environment. Judson Centre, while
possessing few metropolitan advantages, has distinct and peculiar
recommendations of an individual character which endear t