ll sorts of fancy drinks, and
she was a real nice lady, tu, and got lots of 'em to attend her church
jest by them means. They said it was so popular to drink wine
now-a-days, that the best of folks didn't think there was no harm in
it."

"That was the common way of thinking when I was young. I remember very
clear when the minister used to come here with the judge, and the
judge was very apt to go off and have a spree after it. Miss Sherman
mourned herself most to death, but when the minister came out strong
on the side of temperance and preached and practised, and the judge
had signed the pledge, we had different times, I tell you. Them
decanters have stood empty on the side board ever since."

"I wish, they were smashed," said Daddy, emphatically.

"So do I," echoed Recta. "I'd like to sarve 'em as the heathen do
their idols when they git converted to Christianity."

"Be you a Christian, Recta."

Recta looked down confusedly, twirled her thumbs, and finally answered
in a constrained tone, "I belong to the church."

"Du ye? well, may be I'll jine it tu. I promised Fanny fur tu tend tu
that are matter when I got my lectur done, but I hed fur to tend tu
gittin married fust."

"Your what done, Philip?"

"My lectur, I writ one on temperance when I was sick. I calculate fur
tu go round deliverin of it next winter when we git settled. 'Tween
you and me, I may clare a little money on it. Lecturers are apt tu,
I've heern say."

"You had better lectur on cabbages if you want tu make money on it,"
was the wise response.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

THE OLD BROWN HOUSE DESERTED--THE PEARL AND DIAMOND RING--MR.
AND MRS. MARSDEN'S CONJECTURES.

The old brown house was desolate; the doors bolted, the shutters
closed, and not a sound to be heard within its walls. The stable too,
was deserted, for now Black Hawk freely roamed in the pastures of his
former master.

But in more ways than one had he done our heroine good service. Day
after day, during that unhappy Spring she had, while striving to
banish thought, ridden him through the wildest of wild forest paths,
reckless alike of her own safety and his. The noble animal forded
swollen streams, floundered through treacherous sloughs, leaped over
fallen trees and climbed rocky precipices, and had not heaven ordained
it otherwise, both horse and rider must have fallen a prey to the
dangers of the way.

Although indulging in this abandonment of feeling, Little Wolf