“I must spend it very wisely,” the girl said, “as it was so carefully hoarded together. It is all so wonderful that I cannot believe it is true.” “I should like the old man to have had the pleasure that has been mine in bringing you the good news,” the lawyer said, bowing himself out. “We shall have many business matters to discuss later on, but I will leave you now to enjoy the new good fortune with your sisters.” He came back and said rather nervously, “Remember, my dear, that you can draw on me for any ready money you may require. I will leave you a hundred dollars now just to pay for immediate expenses, and to-morrow you can have ten hundred more if you like.” When Ada Nicoli was going upstairs, as if floating on wings rather than walking, she met the fat lady boarder coming down. “Well, I declare, Ada Nicoli, you look as if the world wasn’t good enough for you to-night. There’s enough happiness in your eyes to light a whole street. Has your strange visitor brought you good news?” “Yes,” Ada replied, “wonderful news. He has just told me that I am the little milliner’s girl whom the eccentric old gentleman thought deserved some money.” “Sakes alive!” the fat boarder exclaimed. “Let me look at you,”—and she took the girl by her shoulders and scanned her face. “Are you the girl he left all the money to?” “Yes,” answered Ada; “isn’t it extraordinary? I can’t quite believe it is true! It’s just like a fairy story.” In another moment the girl was clasped in the arms of the good-natured woman, and was so cried over and petted that all the boarders came out to hear the news, which Ada could not tell them for the fulness of her heart, and the fat boarder did it but badly, for she was laughing and crying at one and the same time. [THE END.] FOOTNOTES: [1] It may be interesting to readers to know that the adventure of the _Slains Castle_ and the unexpected return of those who had been mourned as dead, is, in almost every detail, the true history of a British vessel called _The Wandering Minstrel_, which sailed from Hong Kong in 1887 and was not heard of again for more than two years, when her first mate and “a castaway” suddenly appeared in Honolulu, and a steamer was sent off to rescue the remainder of the party. CHRONICLES OF AN ANGLO-CALIFORNIAN RANCH. BY MARGARET INNES. CHAPTER XII. THE RESERVOIR—CHINESE MEDICINES—DUST—ADVANTAGES OF THE LIFE—THE RAINS—FLOODS. That summer, our first on the ranch, we made a large reservoir to hold 200,000 gallons. There was a convenient gulch or dip, which drained a fair stretch of hill slope, and which lent itself well for the purpose. We meant also to run our share of the flume water into this reservoir whenever it was not being used on the ranch.