he said—­and told me to board with a certain family who had no children; he gave his reasons, but that’s immaterial.  They were friends of his, so I learned afterwards.  They proved to be fine people.  The woman was one of those kindly souls who never know where to stop.  She planned and schemed to marry me off in spite of myself.  The first month that I was with them she told me all about the girls in that immediate neighborhood.  In fact, she rather got me unduly excited, being a youth and somewhat verdant.  She dwelt powerful heavy on a girl who lived in a big brick house which stood back of the road some distance.  This girl had gone to school at a seminary for young ladies near Lexington,—­studied music and painting and was ’way up on everything.  She described her to me as black-eyed with raven tresses, just like you read about in novels.

“Things were rocking along nicely, when a few days before Christmas a little girl who belonged to the family who lived in the brick house brought me a note one morning.  It was an invitation to take supper with them the following evening.  The note was written in a pretty hand, and the name signed to it—­I’m satisfied now it was a forgery.  My landlady agreed with me on that point; in fact, she may have mentioned it first.  I never ought to have taken her into my confidence like I did.  But I wanted to consult her, showed her the invitation, and asked her advice.  She was in the seventh heaven of delight; had me answer it at once, accept the invitation with pleasure and a lot of stuff that I never used before—­she had been young once herself.  I used up five or six sheets of paper in writing the answer, spoilt one after another, and the one I did send was a flat failure compared to the one I received.  Well, the next evening when it was time to start, I was nervous and uneasy.  It was nearly dark when I reached the house, but I wanted it that way.  Say, but when I knocked on the front door of that house it was with fear and trembling.  ‘Is this Mr. Quarternight?’ inquired a very affable lady who received me.  I knew I was one of old man Quarternight’s seven boys, and admitted that that was my name, though it was the first time any one had ever called me mister.  I was welcomed, ushered in, and introduced all around.  There were a few small children whom I knew, so I managed to talk to them.  The girl whom I was being braced against was not a particle overrated, but sustained the Kentucky reputation for beauty.  She made herself so pleasant and agreeable that my fears soon subsided.  When the man of the house came in I was cured entirely.  He was gruff and hearty, opened his mouth and laughed deep.  I built right up to him.  We talked about cattle and horses until supper was announced.  He was really sorry I hadn’t come earlier, so as to look at a three year old colt that he set a heap of store by.  He showed him to me after supper with a lantern.  Fine colt, too.  I don’t remember much about the supper, except that it was