Novel Notes | Page 9

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.
"A smile broke the settled melancholy of his features. 'Ah,' he said, in a more cheerful tone than he had hitherto employed, 'it does one good to think about her, it does. She's married to a friend of mine now, young Sam Jessop. I slips out and gives 'em a call now and then, when Hannah ain't round. Lord, it's like getting a glimpse of heaven to look into their little home. He often chaffs me about it, Sam does. "Well, you was a sawny-headed chunk, Josiah, you was," he often says to me. We're old chums, you know, sir, Sam and me, so he don't mind joking a bit like.'
"Then the smile died away, and he added with a sigh, 'Yes, I've often thought since, sir, how jolly it would have been if you could have seen your way to making it Juliana.'
"I felt I must get him back to Hannah at any cost. I said, 'I suppose you and your wife are still living in the old place?'
"'Yes,' he replied, 'if you can call it living. It's a hard struggle with so many of us.'
"He said he did not know how he should have managed if it had not been for the help of Julia's father. He said the captain had behaved more like an angel than anything else he knew of.
"'I don't say as he's one of your clever sort, you know, sir,' he explained. 'Not the man as one would go to for advice, like one would to you, sir; but he's a good sort for all that.'
"'And that reminds me, sir,' he went on, 'of what I've come here about. You'll think it very bold of me to ask, sir, but--'
"I interrupted him. 'Josiah,' I said, 'I admit that I am much to blame for what has come upon you. You asked me for my advice, and I gave it you. Which of us was the bigger idiot, we will not discuss. The point is that I did give it, and I am not a man to shirk my responsibilities. What, in reason, you ask, and I can grant, I will give you.'
"He was overcome with gratitude. 'I knew it, sir,' he said. 'I knew you would not refuse me. I said so to Hannah. I said, "I will go to that gentleman and ask him. I will go to him and ask him for his advice."'
"I said, 'His what?'
"'His advice,' repeated Josiah, apparently surprised at my tone, 'on a little matter as I can't quite make up my mind about.'
"I thought at first he was trying to be sarcastic, but he wasn't. That man sat there, and wrestled with me for my advice as to