aiting developments. "How long s'pose
he will stay!" Halse exclaimed crossly; and Addison began brushing up a
little, in order to go in and help do the honors of the house with
Theodora.

"He is a pretty nice old fellow," Addison remarked to Kate. "Have you
any idea who he is?"

But Kate, though born in the county, had never seen him. Just then the
sitting-room door opened, and we heard "Doad" saying, "We haven't much
for luncheon to-day, but fried pies, but we shall all be glad to have
you sit down with us."

"What an awful fib!" whispered Ellen behind her hand to Kate; and truth
to say, his coming had rather upset our anticipated pleasure; but Mr.
Hamlin had taken a great fancy to Theodora and was accepting her
invitation, with vast good-nature.

What a great dark man he looked, as he followed Theodora out to the
table.

"These are my cousins that I have told you of," she was saying, and then
mentioned all our names to him and afterwards Kate's, although Mr.
Hamlin had not seen fit to tell us his own; we supposed that he was
merely some pleasant old acquaintance of Gramp's early years.

He was seated in Gramp's place at table and, after a brief flurry in the
kitchen, the big platterful of fried pies was brought in. What Ellen and
Theodora had done was, carefully to pick out the two "Jonahs" and lay
them aside. We were now all gathered around. Addison and Theodora
exchanged glances and there was a little pause of interrogation, in case
our caller might possibly be a clergyman, after all, and might wish to
say grace.

He evinced no disposition to do so, however; and laughing a little in
spite of herself, Doad raised the platter and assayed to pass it to our
guest.

"And are these the 'fried pies?'" he asked with the broadest of smiles.
"They resemble huge doughnuts. But I now remember that my mother used to
fry something like this, when I was a boy at home, over at Paris Hill;
and my recollection is that they were very good."

"Yes, the most of them are very good," said Addison, by way of making
conversation, "unless you happen to get the 'Jonah.'"

"And what's the 'Jonah?'" asked our visitor.

Amidst much laughter, this was explained to him--also the penalty. Mr.
Hamlin burst forth in a great shout of laughter, which led us to surmise
that he enjoyed fun.

"But we have taken the 'Jonahs' out of these," Theodora made haste to
reassure him.

"What for?" he exclaimed.

"Why--why--because we have compan