chemes.

"'After leaving New Mexico, I worked the dust off, a little at a time,
an' wasted the money--but never mind that.

"'It was just before she got aboard the ship that Rachel sent me a
letter containing another to you, to be sent when all was right--I've
carried it ever since--somehow or other I was afraid it would drop a
clew to send it at first, and after it got a year old, I didn't think of
it much.'

"He fumbled around inside of his dirty flannel shirt for a minute, and
soon fished up a letter almost as black as the shirt, and holding it up,
said:

"'That's it.'

"'I had the envelope off in a second, and read:

"'DEAR JOSEPH:

"'I am going to my aunt, Mrs. Julia Bradshaw, 15 Harrow Lane,
Leicester, England. If you do not change your mind, I will be
happy to talk over our affairs whenever you are ready. I shall be
waiting.

"'RACHEL'.

"I turned and bolted toward a door, when Gardiner yelled:

"'Where are you going?'

"'To England,' said I.

"'This door, then, sir,' said a Mexican.

"I came back to the old man.

"'Rokesby,' said I, 'you have cut ten years off my life, but I forgive
you; good-by.'

"'One thing more, Mr. Hogg; don't tell 'em at home how I went--nothing
about this last deal.'

"'Well, all right; but I'll tell Rachel, if we marry and come to
America.'

"'I've got lots of honest relations, and my old mother still lives, in
her eighties.'

"'Well, not till after she goes, unless to save Rachel in some way.'

"'Good-by, Mr. Hogg, God bless you! and--and, little Rachel.'

"'Good-by, Mr. Rokesby.'

"The next day I left Mexico for God's country, and inside of ten days
was on a Cunarder, eastward bound. I reached England in proper time; I
found the proper pen in the proper train, and was deposited in the
proper town, directed to the proper house, and street, and number, and
had pulled out about four yards of wire attached to the proper bell.

"A kindly-faced old lady looked at me over her spectacles, and I asked:

"'Does Mrs. Julia Bradshaw live here?'

"'Yes, sir; that's me.'

"'Have you a young lady here named Rachel R--'

"The old lady didn't wait for me to finish the name, she just turned her
head fifteen degrees, put her open hand up beside her mouth, and shouted
upstairs:

"'Rachel! Rachel! Come down here, quick! Here's your young man from
America!'"

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S TRIP

It is all of twenty years now since the litt