y as him and the widder owned claims as
'jined, and they'd made up their minds to jine too. And then he
haw-haw'd tell you could a-heerd him a mile. By the way, it's the widder
that's let the cat out of the bag."

"What cat out of what bag?" asked Lurton.

"Why, how Mr. Charlton come to go to the State boardin'-house fer takin'
a land-warrant he didn' take."

"How _did_ she find out?" said Isa. Her voice seemed to be purer and
sweeter than ever--happiness had tuned it.

"By list'nin' at the key-hole," said Jim.

"When? What key-hole?"

"When Mr. Lurton and Miss Marlay--I beg your pard'n, Mrs. Charlton--was
a-talkin' about haow to git Mr. Charlton out."

"Be careful," said Lurton. "You shouldn't make such a charge unless you
have authority."

Jim looked at Lurton a moment indignantly. "Thunder and lightnin'," he
said, "Dave tole me so hisself! Said _she_ tole him. And Dave larfed
over it, and thought it 'powerful cute' in her, as he said in his
Hoosier lingo;" and Jim accompanied this last remark with a patronizing
look at Gray.

"Charlton, what are you thinking about?" asked Lurton when
conversation flagged.

"One year ago to-day I was sentenced, and one year ago to-morrow I
started to Stillwater."

"Bully!" said Jim. "I beg yer pardon, Mrs. Charlton, I couldn't help it.
A body likes to see the wheel turn round right. Ef 'twould on'y put some
folks _in_ as well _as_ turn some a-out!"

When Charlton with his bride started in a sleigh the next morning to his
new home on his property in the village of "Charlton" a crowd had
gathered about the door, moved partly by that curiosity which always
interests itself in newly-married people, and partly by an exciting rumor
that Charlton was not guilty of the offense for which he had been
imprisoned. Mrs. Ferret had told the story to everybody, exacting from
each one a pledge of secrecy. Just as Albert started his horses, Whisky
Jim, on top of his stage-box, called out to the crowd, "Three cheers, by
thunder!" and they were given heartily. It was the popular acquittal.

WORDS AFTERWARDS.

Metropolisville is only a memory now. The collapse of the land-bubble and
the opening of railroads destroyed it. Most of the buildings were removed
to a neighboring railway station. Not only has Metropolisville gone, but
the unsettled state of society in which it grew has likewise
disappeared--the land-sharks, the claim speculators, the
town-proprietors, the trappers, and t