ld break
it to her, as if it were your own idea, that she had better keep
within doors until this fellow's caught, I am sure that it will be
well."

"You will come in this evening, I hope; and always of an evening,
Captain Whitney. It will make a change, and cheer us up; besides,
we want to hear all about your adventures, since we saw you last."

This Reuben gladly promised and, after it was dark, and he had
placed a sentry, he came into the house. Mrs. Barker was on duty in
the sick room; and Reuben, at Mrs. Donald's request, gave them an
account of the voyage out, and of the circumstances which had led
to his entering the police.

He would have passed very briefly over the affair at the Cape, but
by many questions Mrs. Donald succeeded in eliciting from him all
the details of the story.

"It was a gallant action, indeed," she said warmly. "You certainly
saved the lives of those two girls, at a terrible risk of your
own."

"To make the romance complete, Whitney," Mr. Barker remarked, "you
ought to have married Miss Hudson."

"Unfortunately, you see," Reuben said with a smile, "in the first
place I was only a boy, and she was two years my senior; in the
next, and much more important place, she happened to be in love
with someone else; and I did not happen to be in love with her,
though she was, I admit, a very charming young lady, and had been
extremely kind to me."

"How was that, Whitney?" Mr. Barker asked. "Eighteen is a
susceptible age. I can only account for your coldness on the
supposition that you had left your heart in England."

"I fancy my heart was, then, where it is now," Reuben rejoined,
with a slight smile.

"In the right place, eh, Whitney?"

"In the right place," Reuben repeated quietly.

At this moment Mrs. Barker entered, and said that Mr. Donald would
be glad if Reuben would come and sit with him, for a little time.

"Don't let him talk much," Mr. Ruskin said. "The less he talks, the
better; but your talking to him, for a time, will cheer him up and
do him good."

"I am glad to see you going on so well, Mr. Donald," Reuben said
heartily, as he entered. "The doctor says you are not to talk much;
but you are to play the part of a listener."

"Do you think you will catch these fellows?" was Mr. Donald's first
question.

"I will catch them, sooner or later," Reuben said. "I will run them
down if they are above ground; but I can take no steps in the
matter until I hear from my black