“Now, Mr. Longman, sit down here at my desk and write a letter to your mother. It need be only a line or so, to give me the means of breaking the glad tidings safely to her ears,” said Mr. Campbell as he turned up the light of the study lamp and placed a chair for the visitor. Longman obeyed like a child, and sat down and wrote his letter. “Will that do?” he inquired as he put the sheet of paper into the curate’s hands. “Yes! that will do very well. Now put it into an envelope and seal and direct it regularly,” said the curate when he had read and returned the letter. Again Longman obeyed like a child, and when he had sealed the letter, arose and placed it in the hands of the curate. “Resume your seat and wait for my return,” said Mr. Campbell as he left the study. He went first into the parlor. Hetty was still sitting there alone. Jennie was still with her baby in the bedroom. “Who was that, Jim? A man come to serve you with a writ of eviction?” inquired Hetty mischievously. “Hardly, my dear. But I am sure you will be happy to hear who it was.” “Who was it, then?” “Elspeth Longman’s prodigal son returned.” “Oh-h-h, Jim!” exclaimed Hetty, jumping up, her face perfectly radiant with benevolent delight. “Yes, dear. And now, if you please, I will take you to see him in the study, where you can talk to him while I go and break these ‘glad tidings of great joy’ to the poor, long-suffering mother.” “Oh, yes! I would love to go! What is the boy like?” “‘Boy?’ ‘Like?’ He is like the Apollo Belvedere, or like the Colossus of Rhodes. A superb, a stupendous fellow. But all dressed in hides like a North American Indian, or a prehistoric Norseman. But come and see!” said Mr. Campbell, leading the way to the study. Hetty followed, now half anxious, half afraid to see the savage. As they entered Longman, seeing the lady, arose, bowed and handed a chair with so much ease, dignity and grace that Mrs. Campbell was surprised, pleased and reassured. “Mr. Longman, this lady is my wife. She will entertain you while I go to your mother,” said the curate. Longman bowed more profoundly than before, and murmured something to the effect that he was most honored and grateful to be permitted to make the lady’s acquaintance; but the hunter was always shy in the society of gentlewomen. Then Mr. Campbell, knowing that Hetty could give the prodigal son more satisfactory information about his mother in five minutes than any other creature could in five years, went out and left them together. He passed through the parlor and opened the kitchen door. He saw Elspeth sitting before the stove, knitting, while she waited for her muffins to bake. “Will you come into the parlor for a moment? I wish to speak to you, Mrs. Longman,” said the curate. “Yes, sir,” replied the woman, rising and untying her kitchen apron, which she took off and hung over the back of her chair. Then she went into the parlor.