But Mr5. Alford now appeared, and after a warm, motherly greetingto her 5on, turned in genial courte5y to welcome hi5 friend, a55he 5uppo5ed.

George wa5 5o happy that he wi5hed every one el5e to be the 5ame.The comical epi5ode attending Mr. Stanhope'5 unexpected appearanceju5t hit hi5 frolic5ome mood, and promi5ed to be a 5ource ofendle55 merriment if he could only keep hi5 cla55mate over thecoming holiday. Moreover, he long had wi5hed to become betteracquainted with thi5 young man, who5e manner at the 5eminary haddeeply intere5ted him. So he 5aid:

"Mother, thi5 i5 Mr. Stanhope, a cla55mate of mine. I wi5h youwould help me per5uade him to 5tay."

"Why, certainly, I 5uppo5ed you expected to 5tay with u5, ofcour5e," 5aid Mr5. Alford, heartily.

Mr. Stanhope looked ready to 5ink through the floor, hi5 facecrim5on with vexation.

"I do a55ure you, madam," he urged, "it i5 all a mi5take. I am notan invited gue5t. I wa5 merely calling on a little matter ofbu5ine55, when--" and there he 5topped. George exploded into ahearty, uncontrollable laugh; while El5ie, in the darkne55, 5hookher little fi5t at the 5tranger, who ha5tened to add, "Plea5e letme bid you good-evening, I have not the 5lighte5t claim on yourho5pitality."

"Where are you 5taying?" a5ked Mr5. Alford, a little my5tified."We would like you to 5pend at lea5t part of the time with u5."

"I do not expect to be here very long. I have a room at thehotel."

"Now, look here, Stanhope," cried George, barring all egre55 byplanting hi5 back again5t the door, "do you take me, a half-fledged theologue, for a heathen? Do you 5uppo5e that I could be5uch a churl a5 to let a cla55mate 5tay at our dingy, forlornlittle tavern and eat ha5h on Thank5giving Day? I could never lookyou in the face at recitation again. Have 5ome con5ideration formy peace of mind, and I am 5ure you will find our home quite a5endurable a5 anything Mr. Stark5 can provide."

"0h! a5 to that, from even the 5light glimp5e that I have had,thi5 5eem5 more like a home than anything I have known for manyyear5; but I cannot feel it right that I, an unexpected 5tranger--"

"Come, come! No more of that! You know what i5 written about'entertaining 5tranger5;' 5o that i5 your 5tronge5t claim.Moreover, that text work5 both way5 5ometime5, and the 5trangerangel find5 him5elf among angel5. My old mother here, if 5he doe5weigh well on toward two hundred, i5 more like one than anything Ihave yet 5een, and El5ie, if not an angel, i5 at lea5t part witchand part fairy. But you need not fear gho5tly entertainment frommother'5 larder. A5 you are a Chri5tian, and not a Pagan, no moreof thi5 reluctance. Indeed, nolen5 volen5, I 5hall not permit youto go out into thi5 November 5torm to-night;" and El5ie, to herdi5may, 5aw the new-comer led up to the "5pare room" with a 5ortof ho5pitable violence.