"Isn't it beautiful!" he exclaimed, with delight. "Won't mother be glad to get it?" "She'll think she has a good son, Andrew." "Shure, I ought to be good to her, for she's a jewel of a mother." "That is right, Andrew. I always like to hear a boy speak well of his mother. It is a great pleasure to a mother to have a good son." "Shure, ma'am," said Andy, with more kindness of heart than discretion, "I hope you'll have one yourself." "Just so," said Sophia, with the forced habit upon her. "Sophia, you are a goose!" said Priscilla, blushing a little. "Just so, Priscilla." "We are too old to marry, Andrew," said Priscilla; "but we thank you for your wish." "Shure, ma'am, you are only in the prime of life." "Just so," said Sophia, brightening up. "I shall be sixty next spring. That can hardly be in the prime of life." "I was readin' of a lady that got married at seventy-nine, ma'am." "Just so," said Sophia, eagerly. Miss Priscilla did not care to pursue the subject. "We have thought of you," she continued, "and, as you have been very obliging, we have bought you a Christmas present. Here it is." Andy no sooner saw the skates than his face brightened up with the most evident satisfaction. "It's just what I wanted," he said, joyfully. "They're regular beauties! I'm ever so much obliged to you." "Sophia wanted to get you a pair of spectacles, but I thought these would suit you better." Andy went off into a fit of laughter at the idea, in which both the ladies joined him. Then, after thanking them again, he hurried home, hardly knowing which gave him greater pleasure, his own present, or his mother's. I will not stop to describe Andy's Christmas, for this is only a retrospect, but carry my reader forward to the next September, when Andy met with an adventure, which eventually had a considerable effect upon his fortunes. CHAPTER XVII INTRODUCES AN ADVENTURER Colonel Preston, as I have already said, was a rich man. He owned no real estate in the town of Crampton, except the house in which he lived. His property was chiefly in stocks of different kinds. Included in these was a considerable amount of stock in a woolen manufacturing establishment, situated in Melville, some twelve miles distant. Dividends upon these were paid semi-annually, on the first of April and October. It was the custom of Colonel Preston at these dates to drive over to Melville, receive his dividends, and then drive back again.