ture. The day has been sultry enough for a tempest, and, if we don't make haste, we may get drenched through.

Major Gordon was in the saddle before she had ceased speaking. Cantering a short space ahead, where the verdant vault parted partially above, he confirmed Kate's opinion. In a moment she was at his side.

"Hadn't we better return ?" he said, surprised to see her following him.

"We should be too late to escape the storm," she replied. "Mr. Herman's farm is the nearest place of shelter I remember; it is only a mile off; but we can reach it before the rain comes on, if we lose no time. Follow me."

As she spoke, she gave Arab his head again, and dashed forwards. She did not, however, permit him to distance Selim, as he might easily have done; but held him back sufficiently to allow Major Gordon to keep at her side.

In a couple of minutes the riders emerged from the swamp, on a comparatively clear space, where the forest had just been cut away and here the grandeur of the approaching storm broke upon them in all its terrific majesty. Colossal clouds, as black as ink, were rolling up from the west, piling one on top of the other, and making the lately azure heaven as dark as the day of doom. The trees moaned ominously. All at once a dead calm fell upon everything. Nature seemed panting for breath. Then, suddenly, a hurricane arose, which rushed through the woods, stripping off the leaves, and tore along the now sandy road, driving before it huge columns of lurid dust.

Kate wheeled her horse, at this crisis, into a by-road at full speed, merely looking around at Major Gordon as a signal for him to follow.

A few strides carried them within the shelter of the forest again. A few more, and they emerged on a small clearing. Major Gordon had only time to observe that it contained about fifty or sixty acres, and boasted a thriving apple

orchard, when they dashed up to a comfortable looking, though primitive dwelling, constructed of hewn logs, a story and a half high.

The house stood a few rods back from the road, and was approached by a lane guarded by a gate. This entrance was now closed, and Major Gordon was about to press forward, in order to open it, when Kate, rushing her horse at it, and skillfully lifting him, gallantly cleared it. The Major had just time to raise Selim for the leap, when Kate reached the door of the house, throwing Arab back nearly on his haunches, as she reined him suddenly in.

A patriarchal old man was standing in the open entrance, with two lads at his side. As Kate sprang nimbly to the ground, he advanced, and, seizing her hand, drew her in, for the big drops were now beginning to descend, heavy as miniature bullets.

At the same time he said, as Major Gordon alighted,

"Lads, take the horses, quick, and put them in the barn. Be lively now, or the saddles will get wet. But walk in, walk in, Miss Katie; and welcome to the old man's hearth again; it's been many a year since you were here."

With these words he fairly pushed her in, signing for Major Gordon to follow.

THE room into which Mr. Herman ushered his guests apparently occupied about half of the lower floor, and was employed indiscriminately for a kitchen, sitting-room and parlor. A huge fire-place, with a high-backed settle inside, occupied a considerable portion of one side of the apartment, the rest of the space being filled up with a cupboard to the right and a staircase to the left. There was no carpet on the floor, but the boards were scrubbed to a snowy whiteness; and a pine dough-trough which stood under one of the windows, was also as white as rubbing could make it. The whole aspect of the place indicated, in fact, the most scrupulous neatness. The good wife herself was a pattern of tidiness. Although it was not yet noon, and her day's work, therefore, was but half over, she advanced to receive her visiters in a clean apron and cap, which, in the single minute left her for preparation, she had managed to snatch from their repose in one of her lavenderscented drawers. A cheerful, motherly face was that of Mrs. Herman, such a one as made a visitor feel at home immediately.

Her husband was of medium height and strongly built,

but looked smaller than he really was, in consequence of a slight stoop which he had contracted. In sitting, however, this partial deformity added to the habitual thoughtfulness of his aspect. The head, covered with thin, patriarchal gray hair, in which a few threads of a darker color still remained, was large and squarely shaped, with a jaw indicative of a great decision of character, and expanding above into a square, solid brow, in which the reflective faculties were largely developed. It was not without meaning, so Major Gordon thought, that Kate had called him a natural-born philosopher. His face in repose looked severe to sternness, especially as age had begun to wrinkle it; but when he spoke, his blue eye brightened, and a pleasant cheerfulness, which yet rarely amounted to a smile, diffused itself over his countenance. His manner, in acknowledging his introduction to the Major, partook something of shyness. But before the interview was over, his guest decided that, though a man of reserved habits, he was nevertheless quick to observe and reflect, and that a warm heart beat within his bosom, full of genial benevolence to his race, and glowing with sweet domestic affections.

"I declare," said his good dame, dusting a split-bottomed chair, which Major Gordon thought already clean to a miracle, and looking apologetically towards Kate, while she tendered it to the handsome officer, "if I had known anybody had been coming, I'd a had things more in sorts."

"There, mother," said the husband, quizzically, "Miss Katie knows you well enough not to need an apology. It's true," he continued, with dry humor, glancing about the scrupulously neat apartment, "if we had a shovel here, we might pitch some of the dirt out; but since that can't be done, our friends will make the best of things, I hope, and not be too severe on us."

"Father will talk," said the dame, apologetically, a little

disconcerted; "he's no better, Miss Katie, than when you left, you see."

"No, I really come into my own house sometimes," rejoined Mr. Herman, his eye twinkling with laughter, though still good-humoredly, "without taking off my shoes. I'd like to see the boys do it, however," he added, with a pleasant laugh.

"Mrs. Herman makes me always ashamed of our housekeeping at Sweetwater," said Kate, with tact.

"Don't say that now," replied the gratified housekeeper, whose whole face glowed with delight at the compliment, than which Kate knew no other could possibly have been more agreeable.

The conversation now became more general. After awhile, Kate said, addressing Mr. Herman by the familiar name she had been accustomed to use when a child

"How are the deer now, Uncle Lawrence? I think I remember something of having heard, when in England, that a very severe winter had destroyed large numbers. Mr. Herman," she continued, turning to the Major, "is the best hunter we have in all West Jersey."

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host.

They are getting pretty plenty again," answered her "That is, for one who knows where to look for 'em. But for others, they're as scarce as ever. I took several loads of venison to town last winter, and got good pricesthe war don't seem to make much difference," he added, slyly, "to the nabobs."

"You farm this place also ?" said Major Gordon, interrogatively.

"Yes! we farm a little. Enough for our own use, raising a bit of rye, a few potatoes, and some corn. The boys do most of it, though, to give them justicc. We don't want much, we simple folk," he continued, "so that we easily manage to live on what I bring from the woods and what the boys raise. Mother there keeps us pretty well supplied