As Mr. Hurd glanced at the bit of pasteboard, his manner underwent a great change: “Please be seated,” said he urbanely. Professor Blank bowed again: “This gentleman requested me to accompany him to your office, to testify that I took these cathodographs of him with the ‘X’ ray. This represents him as he appeared when I first saw him,” laying the photograph on the desk: “After having the last of the cathodographs taken he was very ill for a long time; his hair had nearly all fallen before his illness, and during that illness he became emaciated as you see him.” Mr. Hurd stood gazing from Christopher to the photograph, and back again in amazement. “But what took his hair off?” “Oh, the ‘X’ ray; it sometimes has that effect,” said the professor calmly. Mr. Hurd turned to Christopher: “You don’t mean to tell me—” he paused eloquently. “Yes, I was experimenting with the ‘X’ ray—having my brain cathodographed,” he answered humbly. Maria had entered unperceived: “You mean that you had your skull pictured; you haven’t any brain, Christopher; the ‘X’ ray makes but a slight shadow of soft substances, and none of a vacuum,” said she sweetly. Said Christopher, in an aside to the professor: “I told you that you didn’t know my Maria! My! Won’t I catch it, though!” AN AVERTED TRAGEDY. Merna Wood stood leaning against the jamb in the open doorway. The morning-glory vines made a very effective draping for a very pretty picture; the attitude was the acme of indolence, which an indescribable expression of alertness belied. Ned Glover was standing below, his face just on a level with hers; he was looking at her laughingly—in fact he was nearly always laughing—and Merna was never certain that he meant one-half that he was saying, which at this moment was: “Yes; I am going to buy a nice little home, and I want a housekeeper; will you come?” Merna tossed her head saucily: “I do not intend to go out to service this summer,” she replied. “If I must do so, I will hire some one to do the work, and have my wife oversee it. Will you come as my wife, Merna?” Merna flushed rosily, she was not yet sure that he was in earnest, so she replied lightly, “Oh, you are just funning, as the children say.” He tried to draw his face into lines of seriousness, but his bright blue eyes would twinkle, he was so jolly that it was impossible for him to assume an expression of severe gravity. He caught her face in both his large palms, and kissed her fondly: “Say yes! Say yes, I tell you!” he whispered forcefully. “Yes! Yes! Let me go, Ned, mother is looking!” “Well, mother has a perfect right to look; we do not care!” his face one broad laugh.