orning, Micah".

At the sound of her voice he rose instantly and handing a chair into
the middle of the floor, said, "O! come in, Miss Ady; I didn't know ez
it was yeou".

"I cannot stop now, Micah, but here is a gentleman who has a little
business with you. I came to show him the way. This is Mr. Norton".

And away Adele sped, without farther ceremony.

Micah looked after her for a moment, with a half smile on his
weather-beaten face, then turned and motioning Mr. Norton to a chair,
reseated himself on a wooden chest, with his gun, upon which he again
commenced operations, his countenance setting into its usual owl-like
solemnity.

He was not courtly in his reception of strangers. The missionary,
however, had dealt with several varieties of the human animal before,
and was by no means disturbed at this nonchalance.

"I believe you are from the States, as well as myself, Mr. Mummychog",
said he, after a short silence.

"I'm from the Kennebec River", said Micah, laconically.

"I am quite extensively acquainted in that region, but do not remember
to have heard your name before. It is rather an uncommon one".

"I guess ye won't find many folks in them parts, ez is called
Mummychog", said Micah, with a twinkle of the eye and something like a
grin, on his sombre visage.

"You've a snug place here, Mr. Micah", said Mr. Norton, who, having
found some difficulty in restraining a smile, when repeating Mr.
Mummychog's surname, concluded to drop it altogether, "but what could
have induced you to leave the pleasant Kennebec and come to this
distant spot?"

"Well, I cam' to git a chance and be somwhere, where I could jest be
let alone".

"A chance for what, Mr. Micah?"

"Why, hang it, a chance to live an' dew abeout what I want tew. The
moose an' wolves an' wildcats hev all ben hunted eout o' that kentry.
Thar wa'nt no kind ev a chance there. So I cam' here".

"You have a wife, I suppose, Mr. Micah?"

"Wife! no. Do ye spose I want to hev a woman kep' skeered a most to
death abeout me, all the time? I'm a fishin' an' huntin good part o'
the year. Wild beasts and sech, is what I like".

"Don't you feel lonely here, sometimes, Mr. Micah?"

"Lunsum! no. There's plenty o' fellers reound here, all the time.
They're a heowlin' set tew, ez ever I see".

"You have a good gun there", suggested the missionary.

"Well, tolable", said Micah, looking up for the first time since Mr.
Norton had entered the house, and scanni