Mr. Echlin wished him “good-night” kindly, but rather like one in a dream, and when the butler came in at eleven, according to custom, with his master’s candle, and to carry up the plate, he still sat in the same chair, but he was leaning back with a satisfied look; the inkstand and blotting-pad were on the table, and a sealed letter lay before him. “Are you ready for your candle, sir?” said Martin, taking all in at a glance. “Yes, quite,” replied the master, rising briskly from his chair. “Good-night, Martin; fine weather for the country.” “Splendid for the crops, sir,” said Martin, a cockney to the backbone, who was imbued with the idea that the more the sun blazed the better the corn grew; but as he turned out the gas the old man wondered to whom his master had been writing, a wonder which was not relieved in the morning, as was generally the case on the rare occasions when Mr. Echlin wrote a letter at home, by his being requested to post it, for his master brought the letter down with him, laid it on the mantelpiece with the direction downwards, and carried it out in his own hand when he went to business, all which unusual proceedings served to fix Martin’s attention on the letter, and to impress him with the idea that it must be a document of much importance. (_To be concluded._) AN APPEAL FOR AN OLD FRIEND. BY ANNE BEALE. Five years ago the first appeal for the Princess Louise Home was inserted in THE GIRL’S OWN PAPER. It appeared in the weekly number dated February 25, 1882. The response to it was hearty and immediate, and from all parts of the habitable globe arrived contributions in money and goods towards a bazaar for the benefit of this “National Society for the Protection of Young Girls.” The bazaar was held in May, but the account of it was given in the number for July 22, 1882. Every subscriber likes to know what becomes of his or her donations; therefore we purpose to look into results by paying another visit to our old friends at Woodhouse, Wanstead, before terrifying our readers by announcing another fancy fair.