Rosalie looked up, surprised and shocked. This feature of western life was quite new to her, and she was totally unprepared for it. The hostess saw her expression, and hastened to say "Oh! they're very nice, steady young men; they won't make a noise, and keep you awake." "But have you no private room unoccupied? Your house seems large; I should think there were at least four chambers on this floor?" "Lor' bless you, child, so there are; but the floors ain't laid to none o' them except this one, which is the reason I have to put so many in it. Bless you, you mus'n't mind such things out here-nobody does'tain't like where you come from, you know. And now, child, if there's nothing else I can do for you, I hope you'll excuse me, for indeed I am so tired I am almost ready to drop." "Certainly; indeed, I am sorry to have given you so much trouble. Good night!" "Good night!" said the hostess, taking up her candle, and disappearing through the opening folds of the blanket. Rosalie did not wish to sleep. The not unpleasant restlessness, induced by a new and strange position, drove sleep for a time from her eyes. She drew the chest to the only window in her part of the room, and sat down, and opened it, and looked out upon the dark green prairie, that seemed to roll out like the ocean to meet the eastern horizon, where the harvest moon was just rising. The full moon! It was the only familiar object that met her eyes in all the strange, wild, lonely, beautiful scene-the only old acquaintance—the only thing she had known at home! Tears-but not of sadness-rushed to her eyes. And then she thought of the vicissitudes of the last two years, and especially of the last two months; of her life of almost oriental luxury in the valley of the Pearl; of her home in the mountains of Virginia, where she was surrounded by all the advantages of wealth, taste, elegance, and comfort where the eyes of affection watched her motions all day long, and many servants waited on her lightest bidding; and then of the roughness and ruggedness of her present lot. But not in repining, and not in regret did she compare these various phases of her life. She was happy if ever young wife was so. She looked upon the prairie, bathed in the silvery splendour of moonlight, with its mystic boundaries lost under the horizon, and its vastness and vagueness cast a glamour over her imagination, and charmed her with the fancy of wandering on and on in quest of its unknown limits, or as far as the vanishing boundaries might entice her. In the midst of these eyrie reveries sleep surprised her, and her fair head sank upon her folded hands on the window-sill. She was awakened by a gentle clasp around her waist and a gentle voice in her ear, saying "My Rosalie-asleep at the window with the night dews falling on your head?" She started, lushed, smiled, and exclaimed, "O, Mark, is it you? I am so glad that you havo come!" He let down the window, and placed his hand upon her head to see if it was damp, and asked "Why did you not go to rest, Rosalie ?" แ Why, at first I was not sleepy; and I heard that there were strangers in the next room-or, rather, on the other side of the blankets-and it seemed so odd. I could not get used to the thought in a minute, Mark." He answered with a laugh and said, as he looked around "Yes, it is rather a rude place, with rather primitive accommodations, for the first and best hotel in the great city of Shelton. But, never mind; wait a bit. In a year or two you shall see this house well and completely finished, within and without, and the rooms all properly and comfortably fitted up and furnished, and the establishment provided with suitable waiters and chamber-maids; and in half-a-dozen years the host will probably have made his fortune." "Well, Mark, and what success have you had this afternoon?" "The best success. I have found a house, which I think will suit us exactly. Come to the window for a moment again. Do you see, immediately under the moon, that distant grove, that looks as if it were just against the horizon? You see the trees stand up straight and dark against the sky?" "Yes, I see it." "That is Wolf's Grove. It is not more than three miles from here. I can easily walk the distance twice a day. There is one building on the spot-a large log cabin, that was put up for a meeting-house, but has fallen into disuse since the rise of this village. The cabin is in good repair, and I have already engaged it. So, dear wife, we have only to wait for the arrival of our little furniture, to go to housekeeping. And to-morrow we will go over to Wolf's Grove, and review the premises. CHAPTER XX. THE LOG CABIN. "A summer lodge amid the wild.”—Bryant. "JUDGE! your plunder's come-landed from the 'Sachem' this morning!" were the words with which the landlord greeted Mark Sutherland, as the latter, with Rosalie, descended to breakfast. "Judge!" echoed Rosalie, looking inquiringly from one to the other. Mark Sutherland laughed, and pinched her arm; and when their host had moved off in another direction, said: "Nonsense, Rose. Yes, it was I whom he addressed as Judge of course it was. Every one gets an honorary title of distinction here. I don't know what it is given for; certainly not to confer honour, but rather, I suppose, for the sake of civil brevity, as it is easier to say 'Judge' than 'Mr. Thompson.' Now, if I had ever belonged to any military company-if only as private in militia, they'd dub me here 'Cap'n,' if not 'Major,' or 'Gen'l:' and if I were county constable, instead of law student, they must still call me 'Judge." And just then, as if in illustration of Mr. Sutherland's words, several men entered, eagerly inquiring for "the Colonel," meaning the landlord. And when the host came forward to know their will, several speaking equally together, exclaimed: "Colonel, we want your guns, and your dogs, and your company, this morning, to hunt a pack of wolves that chased Jones's boy almost into the village!" "A pack of wolves!" exclaimed the boarders, gathering around. "Jones's boy!" ejaculated the landlord, in amaze ment. แ 'Riding from McPherson's mill;" "So close, they caught at the boy's boots;" "Nothing but the animal's speed saved him;" "Miraculous 'scape;" "Jones's boy," &c., were the broken sentences with which the tale was told by the several informants, all speaking at once. "Well, friends, long as there's no damage done, I don't see any use in being so excited. As to my guns and dogs, you can have them in welcome; but as to my company, I have promised the Judge here to drive him and his wife over to see their house. And I expect they will want me to haul the plunder over too-won't you, Judge?" Mark Sutherland bowed. After a little discussion, they urged "the Judge" to join their hunt, and Rosalie privately squeezed Mark's arm in disapproval. Mark declined; and, after a little more altercation, the visitors at length departed, with three or four of the bachelor boarders, who quaffed each a "hasty" cup of coffee and followed. When this little disturbance was over "I did not know," said Mr. Sutherland, "that the |