of the family, strict but just in all his dealings; and of our country house in the mountains and our town house in the State capital—­and she expressing the greatest and frankest anxiety to become a member of such a happy, amiable, prosperous family, and declaring with childish boasting that she was quite competent to perform all the duties expected of her and would perform them conscientiously, I suddenly asked her for her references.

“‘I—­I have not a friend in this world,’ she said; and then in a timid voice, she asked:  ‘Are references indispensable?’

“‘Of course,’ I answered

“’Then the Lord help me!  Nothing is left but the river.  The river won’t require references;’ and with that she buried her little golden-haired head in the cushions of the sofa and burst into a perfect storm of sobs and tears.  Now, Cora, what in the deuce was a man to do?  I had never seen anything like that in all my life before.  I had never seen a woman in such a fit before.  All this was strange and horrible to me.

“I am a middling strong old fellow, but that beautiful girl’s despair upset me, and I never could hear any one hint suicide, and she talked of the river.  The river would receive her without references.  The river was kinder than her own fellow creatures!  The river would give her a home and rest and peace!  She only wanted to do honest work for her living, but human beings would not even let her work for them without references!  And I declare to you, Cora, she was not acting, as you might suspect.  She was in deadly earnest.  Her sobs shook her whole frame.

“At last I myself behaved like an ass.  I went and knelt down beside her so as to get quite close to her, and I began to comfort her.  I told her not to mind about the references; that she might have me for a reference all the days of her life; that she should have the situation at Rockhold, where I would convey her and introduce her on my own responsibility.

“While I spoke to her I laid my hand on the little golden-haired head and smoothed it all the time.  Out of pity, Cora, I assure you on my honor, out of pity.  After a while her sobs seemed to subside slowly.  I told her that her face was to me a sufficient recommendation in her favor, and all-sufficient testimonial of character; but that I must have her confidence in exchange for my own.

“You see, Cora, I was very sorry for the poor, pretty creature, and was really anxious to befriend her; but also my curiosity was keenly piqued.  I wished to know her private history, and so I assured her that she should have the position she wanted on the condition of telling me her antecedents.

“At last she yielded, and told me the story of her short, willful life.  This, then, was her poor, little, pathetic story.