“Then he came again.  I returned home from business one evening to find him waiting for me in the hall.  The moment I saw him I knew that my worst fears had fallen short of the truth.  I motioned him to follow me to my study.  He did so, and seated himself in the identical chair on which he had sat three years ago.  The change in him was remarkable; he looked old and careworn.  His manner was that of resigned hopelessness.

“We remained for a while without speaking, he twirling his hat as at our first interview, I making a show of arranging papers on my desk.  At length, feeling that anything would be more bearable than this silence, I turned to him.

“‘Things have not been going well with you, I’m afraid, Josiah?’ I said.

“‘No, sir,’ he replied quietly; ’I can’t say as they have, altogether.  That Hannah of yours has turned out a bit of a teaser.’

“There was no touch of reproach in his tones.  He simply stated a melancholy fact.

“‘But she is a good wife to you in other ways,’ I urged.  ’She has her faults, of course.  We all have.  But she is energetic.  Come now, you will admit she’s energetic.’

“I owed it to myself to find some good in Hannah, and this was the only thing I could think of at that moment.

“‘Oh yes, she’s that,’ he assented.  ’A little too much so for our sized house, I sometimes think.’

“‘You see,’ he went on, ’she’s a bit cornery in her temper, Hannah is; and then her mother’s a bit trying, at times.’

“‘Her mother!’ I exclaimed, ‘but what’s she got to do with you?’

“‘Well, you see, sir,’ he answered, ’she’s living with us now—­ever since the old man went off.’

“‘Hannah’s father!  Is he dead, then?’

“‘Well, not exactly, sir,’ he replied.  ’He ran off about a twelvemonth ago with one of the young women who used to teach in the Sunday School, and joined the Mormons.  It came as a great surprise to every one.’

“I groaned.  ‘And his business,’ I inquired—­’the timber business, who carries that on?’

“‘Oh, that!’ answered Josiah.  ’Oh, that had to be sold to pay his debts—­leastways, to go towards ’em.’

“I remarked what a terrible thing it was for his family.  I supposed the home was broken up, and they were all scattered.

“‘No, sir,’ he replied simply, ’they ain’t scattered much.  They’re all living with us.’

“‘But there,’ he continued, seeing the look upon my face; ’of course, all this has nothing to do with you sir.  You’ve got troubles of your own, I daresay, sir.  I didn’t come here to worry you with mine.  That would be a poor return for all your kindness to me.’

“‘What has become of Julia?’ I asked.  I did not feel I wanted to question him any more about his own affairs.