CHAPTER XII.

A SECOND LEAK STOPPED.

EARLY in the winter John Allen came to the city, and after some discussion, it was concluded to give him a home at the cottage, and thus shield him from some of the many temptations which would surround him. He was an ardent admirer of his Cousin Lily from the first moment he saw her; and speedily ingratiated himself into her favor by the attention he paid little Harry. John had brown hair, which curled close to his head, and nothing pleased the baby better than to get his tiny fingers tangled in the locks, and then hear John exclaim, with a start, "Oh! Oh, dear!"

At the store, John strove to please, laying up every cent of his wages to help stop the leak at his own home. Mr. Everett soon agreed with Aunt Mercy that there was something in the boy, and resolved to give him a chance to succeed.

From Lizzie, John heard regularly, sometimes receiving letters she had written home, and at others epistles directed to himself. She had succeeded so well during the fall term, and the scholars plead so earnestly that she would remain, that the committee concluded to leave the winter school in her hands. There was double the number of scholars, some of them older than herself. But, as Mr. Greenough remarked to the other members of the committee, with all her mirth there was a dignity about their new teacher which would carry her triumphantly through many difficulties.

The vacation was passed with John in his new home, where the merry girl speedily became a great favorite. Indeed, the first tears that Lady-bird had shed at the cottage were when parting from her young visitor. She had so many queer experiences to relate of her scholars, so much to say of the kindness of the committee, and withal was so helpful, in the kitchen and nursery, that both Lily and her husband begged her to give up her school and pass the winter with them.

One incident which occurred during her visit I must not forget to relate. The candles were lighted-one evening, and Lizzie was having a game of frolics with Harry on the floor, while Mr. and Mrs. Everett were laughing spectators, when there was a ring at the door, and presently Maggie ushered in a tall, thin stranger. Lizzie sprang so quickly to her feet that she upset the baby,—blushes burning on her cheeks, when she introduced the gentleman as "Dr. Greenough."

"What a sly girl," whispered Lily, when the couple were so much absorbed as not to notice her, "pretending to be such a confidential friend, and yet keeping back that she had a lover!"

"Hush, Lady-bird!" was the cautious rejoinder. "He will hear you; and I can see by his manner that though he is a lover, he has not yet declared himself."

"I shall just go and call Aunt Mercy, and see what she says to all this."

The old lady had merely seen the family of Mr. Greenough at church, having been absent most of the time since their arrival; and now she fixed her keen eyes on the young man, as if she would read him through. He bore the scrutiny very well, while Lizzie, whose eyes were running over with merriment, sat smiling to herself at Aunt Mercy's questions. He was son of the Mr. Greenough who had been so kind to Lizzie in the school. He had graduated from college, had just finished the study of medicine, and was intending to accept the offer of the old physician in N—, to go into partnership with him. This was the substance of the information Mrs. Lovell's questions elicited from him.

She grew a trifle more gracious, and went on with her catechizing, resolved to test well the character of a man who was so evidently making love to her favorite niece. In the course of the conversation, it came out that for several years he had been a church-member; and some remark he made concerning the aged pastor satisfied her that he was a possessor, as well as a professor, of religion. She leaned back in her chair with an air of so much relief that both Lady-bird and Lizzie, who had been closely watching them, found difficulty in restraining their mirth.

Dr. Greenough well understood and appreciated the object of her inquiries. When they were through, he gave Lizzie so arch a glance that she was obliged suddenly to leave the room in order to maintain the dignity of a school-teacher. When she came back, the conversation turned on her school,—the marked improvement in Thomas Brown, the devotion of her friend Willie, and the prospect for the ensuing term. At a late hour the gentleman, with evident reluctance, took his leave, after having obtained permission to accompany her back to N—.

It is now time that we inquire how Mr. Allen succeeds in stopping the leak made by his intemperate habits. Bell, Carrie, and Ned made themselves so useful that, besides attending school, they earned a considerable part of the money necessary for the actual outlays of the family. The little ones saved their pennies for shoes and hats, while Mrs. Allen did her full part in putting everything, in doors and out, to the best use of which it was capable. Besides what she earned in the dairy, her own cow was so profitable that she was able to make more butter than the family used, which she readily disposed of at the store in exchange for groceries. Every moment of her time was turned to good account,—making, repairing clothes for herself and children from garments given her at the great house, or knitting for winter wear at intervals, while she superintended the movements of her older girls in the kitchen.

In this way Mr. Allen was enabled to lay by almost the whole of his wages toward the secret object of his desires. What this was, no one but his wife knew. But now it was necessary to put the funds he had gathered in some place where they would be earning interest, and he resolved to take Aunt Mercy into his confidence. He did so in the following letter:—

"TO MRS. MERCY LOVELL:

"DEAR AUNT,—We have been hoping for a visit from you. But as John writes there is no probability of your leaving the city for the present, I wish to write you confidentially on a subject of great importance to me.

"As soon as I came to my right mind after leaving N—, I began to ask myself whether there was any hope that I might recover the estate left me by my father. For a long time I did not speak of it even to Mary, but I used to lie hour after hour in the night pondering the subject, and making plans to get it out of the hands of the man who I am convinced took advantage of my habits to cheat me.

"From the first Mary has encouraged me to hope, and she has done more. Without one word of repining and complaint that I had brought this trouble on her, she cheerfully promised to aid me in saving every cent we could spare from our family expenses toward the attainment of that end.

"Since that, the estate has been purchased, as you know, by Mr. Greenough, who has laid out large sums in improving the land, ornamenting the house, and also in adding about twenty acres to the original homestead.

"Against all this I have now four hundred dollars by me, which I wish to invest safely where it will accumulate. A small sum you will say to repurchase an estate worth seven thousand dollars, but I hope now to be able to add rapidly to my stock, while real estate is rather falling than rising in value.

"I have questioned Lizzie closely in regard to the present owners, though she has not the most distant idea of my intention. She says there are two sons, neither of them intending to be farmers, that Mr. Greenough himself is not a practical farmer, but he has retired from the life of a merchant in consequence of feeble health, and that Mrs. Greenough much prefers the city.

"Upon these facts I build my hopes that by and by he may be induced to sell the place, even if he retains a mortgage on it. I feel sure that, with the experience I have gained here, if I could live there, I could make the crops so valuable that I could soon pay off any incumbrance on it. Will you do me the favor to consult Mr. Everett in relation to funding my small sum? Until I am back in my old position, I never shall feel that our terrible leak is stopped.

"Your affectionate nephew,

"JOSEPH ALLEN."

"There isn't much prospect of his ever realizing his hopes," murmured Aunt Mercy, deliberately folding the letter and taking off her glasses to reflect upon the subject it contained. "Joseph doesn't seem to suspect that Mr. Greenough's son and his Lizzie are so friendly. 'Twould be strange indeed if the young people should have the farm. Well, I'll talk with Lawrence about investments. I wouldn't discourage Joseph for the world; and if he is likely to succeed, there's a thousand or two I might loan him to begin with. I should be sure of the interest, and I sha'n't live to want it a great while. No, 'twont do to discourage him."

The next day she wrote an answer stating two ways of investing his four hundred dollars where it would yield a good income, and at the close hinted that in the county bank there were a couple of thousand dollars which he was welcome to use whenever he wished.

"I wonder what good news Allen has heard," exclaimed Mr. Burrel one evening to his wife. "He's had a broad grin on his face every time I've met him."

"He always looks smiling," was the quiet, response.

"Yes, but not as he has to-day. I've heard him whistle often, but there's something new I'm sure. Well, he's a faithful fellow, and I was fortunate to secure him."

"Mary told me something of their former history the other day," said Mrs. Burrel, which accounts for their being so different from most in their position. "They were quite wealthy when they were married. Mary says she never knew what it was to have a want unsupplied till she had been married five years."

"Allen took to drinking, and lost everything; he told me that himself, when I first hired him. He is a stanch temperance man now. I can see the effect of his example on the other men. There's Carter has improved wonderfully of late."

"All Mary's work," was the smiling response. "She began with the wife. Carter fought her for a long time, and forbade his children speaking to Mr. Allen's, he was so bitter."

"I really feel a curiosity to know what good fortune has happened to him," murmured the gentleman, thoughtfully.

"Probably favorable news from Lizzie or John; both, I know, are prospering. I'll ask Mary, when I see her, what she hears from them."