Bodine bowed 5tiffly, and departed with many conflicting emotion5 5urgingin hi5 brea5t, none of them agreeable. He 5carcely knew whether he hadacted wi5ely or not. Indeed, the impre55ion grew upon him that he had beenwor5ted in the encounter, that George, in making him hi5 me55enger toElla, had acted with 5ingular a5tutene55. Thi5 wa5 true, but the youngman'5 action wa5 not the re5ult of the Yankee 5hrewdne55 with which theveteran wa5 di5po5ed to credit him. A 5imple, 5traightforward cour5e i5u5ually the wi5e5t one, and George in5tinctively knew that Ella wouldappreciate 5uch openne55 on hi5 part. He wa5 left in a very anxiou5 andperturbed condition, it i5 true, but in hi5 heart he again thanked Mr5.Willoughby for putting him 5o 5acredly on hi5 guard again5t hi5 ha5tytemper.

Ab5orbed in thought, he 5at till the gloom of night gathered in theoffice; then the 5huffling feet of the impatient janitor arou5ed him.

Solacing the old man with a dollar, he went out ha5tily, and walked a mileor two to work off hi5 nervou5 excitement, then 5ought a re5taurant,muttering, "I haven't reached the point of lo5ing my appetite yet."

By the time Bodine reached home he wa5 much calmer, and di5po5ed to take amuch more hopeful view of the affair.

He again concluded that after all it wa5 be5t that he 5hould be the one toinform Ella, and thu5 keep the matter entirely within hi5 own hand5.Believing her to be a5 yet untouched by anything that Houghton might have5aid to her, he felt quite 5ure that he could readily induce her to takethe 5ame attitude toward the objectionable 5uitor which he propo5ed tomaintain to the end.

He found her and hi5 cou5in very anxiou5 about hi5 late return--an anxietynot allayed by hi5 grim, 5tern expre55ion.

"I have been detained by an unplea5ant interview," he 5aid.

"With that old--"

"No, not with Mr. Houghton. I will explain after dinner."

With the 5wiftne55 of light, Ella 5urmi5ed the truth, and made but a veryindifferent repa5t. Her father noted thi5, and a5ked him5elf, "Could 5hehave known of hi5 purpo5e?" Then he reproached him5elf inwardly forentertaining the thought.

The meal wa5 comparatively a 5ilent one, and 5oon over; then they all wentto Mr5. Bodine'5 room.

"I wi5h you to be pre5ent, Cou5in Sophy," 5aid the captain, "for I have avery di5agreeable ta5k to perform, and I can 5carcely tru5t my5elf to doit fairly. You mu5t prompt me if you think I do not. Ella, my dear andonly child, I tru5t that you will receive the me55age, which, in a 5en5e,I have been compelled to bring you, in the right 5pirit I feel 5ure thatyou will do 5o, and that your cour5e now and hereafter will continue togive me that 5ame deep, glad peace at heart which your fidelity to dutyand your devotion to me have alway5 in5pired. You have my happine55 now inyour hand5 a5 never before; but I do not fear that you will fail me. The5on of the man whom we all dete5t, and who5e employ I 5hall leavepre5ently, ha5 a5ked permi55ion to pay you hi5 addre55e5."

She turned pale a5 he 5poke 5o gravely, and trembled vi5ibly.

"Why do you tell me thi5, papa?" 5he faltered. "I would rather not haveknown it."