sight, like a ship in the distance,
and come bearing down with colours flying; one all alone, or two
together, having the whole sidewalk for themselves. Slowly they would
come and pass, in the full leisure of display, and disappear, giving
place to a new sail just rising to view. No such freedom of display and
monopoly of admiration is anywhere possible any longer in the city of
Gotham.

Pitt had been walking the streets for days, and was weary of watching
the various feminine craft which sailed up and down in them. None of
them were like the one he was looking for, neither could he see
anything that looked like the colonel's straight slim figure and
soldierly bearing. He was weary, but he persevered. A man in his
position was not open to the charge of looking for a needle in a
haystack, such as would now be justly brought to him. New York was not
quite so large then as it is now. It is astonishing to think what a
little place it was in those days; when Walker Street was not yet built
on its north side, and there was a pond at the corner of Canal Street,
and Chelsea was in the country; when the 'West End' was at State
Street, and St. George's Church was in Beekman Street, and Beekman
Street was a place of fashion. The city was neither so dingy nor so
splendid as it is now, and the bright sun of our climate was pouring
all the gold it could upon its roofs and pavements, those September
days when Pitt was trying to be everywhere and to see everything.

One of those sunny, golden days he was sauntering as usual down
Broadway, enjoying the clear aether which was troubled by neither smoke
nor cloud. Sauntering along carelessly, yet never for a moment
forgetting his aim, when his eye was caught by a figure which came up
out of a side street and turned into Broadway just before him. Pitt had
but a cursory glance at the face, but it was enough to make him follow
the owner of it. He walked behind her at a little distance,
scrutinizing the figure. It was not like what he remembered Esther. He
had said to himself, of course, that Esther must be grown up before
now; nevertheless, the image in his mind was of Esther as he had known
her, a well-grown girl of thirteen or fourteen. This was no such
figure. It was of fair medium height, or rather more. The dress was as
plain as possible, yet evidently that of a lady, and as unmistakeable
was the carriage. Perhaps it was that more than anything which fixed
Pitt's attention; the erect,