winter call a whole cityful out of bed, and set the
human tides in a rapid motion. Fox and Bristol had long before got into
the streets and had heartily enjoyed some newspaper items, one
recounting racily the outrage of labeled herrings being hung to the
door-knobs of the houses of many respectable citizens, and another,
under glaring head-lines, giving the minutest details of a desperate
attempt at burglary of Mr. Lyon's house, and a double-leaded editorial
which agonizedly asked in every variety of form, "Where are our police?"
But Mrs. Winslow, from her adventures and toddy of the previous night,
slept late and long, and when she did come creeping out into the
sleeping-room, half dressed and altogether unlovely in disposition and
appearance, she looked out upon the snow-flakes and the crowds of people
without any emotion save that of anger at being aroused.

The only thing to be seen of anything like an unusual object was a very
large load of hay standing at the entrance of the building; but of
course this had no particular interest to a Spiritualist. She had had a
half-formed impression that she had heard knocking at the door, and she
turned from the window to ascertain whether that impression had been
correct. Throwing a shawl about her head and shoulders, she unlocked the
door and peered out cautiously. There was nobody there, and the wind
whistled up the stairs so drearily that she closed the door with a slam,
and after starting up the fire, which was slumbering on the hearth, she
crept into bed again.

She had no more than got at the drowsy threshold of dreamland than she
was startled by a loud knocking, this time proceeding from something
besides an impression of the mind, each knock being accompanied by some
lively expression of German impatience. The demonstration was
intelligible, if the words were not, and Mrs. Winslow bounded out of her
bed and into the reception-room in no pleasant frame of mind.

On protecting her form as much as her indelicate disposition
required--and that was not much--she flung the door open and savagely
asked:

"What's wanted?"

"Ef you keep a man skivering and frozing to died mit der vind und
schnow-vlakes, I guess mebby I charge more as ten dollars a don for
'em!"

He was all smiles at first, but he resented her brusque manner as
swiftly and severely as he could with his broken brogue. He was an
honest, broad-shouldered, big-headed German farmer, and though wrapped
and wou