Authors of "WIDE, WIDE WORLD," and "DOLLARS AND CENTS," "WYCH HAZEL," etc. _"Of the gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, there is no number. Arise, therefore, and be doing; and the Lord be with thee."_—2 Chronicles. NEW YORK G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS 27 AND 29 WEST 23D STREET COPYRIGHT BY G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS, 1876. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I.—ON-DIT CHAPTER II.—WHAT COMES OF ON-DIT CHAPTER III.—CROSS THREADS CHAPTER IV.—ABOUT THE GUARDIANSHIP CHAPTER V.—ASLEEP AND AWAKE CHAPTER VI.—A MAN AND HIS MONEY CHAPTER VII.—THE EMERALD CHAPTER VIII.—ACORNS AND ACORN-CUPS CHAPTER IX.—ROLLO'S EXPERIMENT CHAPTER X.—ROLLO'S COMPANY CHAPTER XI.—STARLIGHT AND FIRELIGHT CHAPTER XII.—COFFEE AND BUNS CHAPTER XIII.—UNDER THE CHESTNUT TREES CHAPTER XIV.—THE WORTH OF A FEATHER CHAPTER XV.—CONFIDENTIAL TALK CHAPTER XVI.—DR. ARTHUR'S NEWS CHAPTER XVII.—ALONE IN THE FIGHT CHAPTER XVIII.—SETTLEMENTS CHAPTER XIX.—SCHOOLING CHAPTER XX.—ABOUT CHRISTMAS CHAPTER XXI.—THE LOSS OF POWER CHAPTER XXII.—PREPARATORY FREAKS CHAPTER XXIII.—FOR BETTER FOR WORSE CHAPTER XXIV.—ONE AND ONE ARE TWO CHAPTER XXV.—PRIM'S TRUNK CHAPTER XXVI.—AN ACCOUNT AT THE BANK CHAPTER XXVII.—THE WORLD AND HIS WIFE CHAPTER XXVIII.— PLEASURE BY EXPRESS CHAPTER XXIX.—SOCIAL DUTIES CHAPTER XXX.—A TRAVELLING CLOCK CHAPTER XXXI.—NOVICE WORK CHAPTER XXXII.—SUPPER CHAPTER XXXIII.—ABDICATION CHAPTER XXXIV.—GOLD AT INTEREST THE GOLD OF CHICKAREE CHAPTER I. ON-DIT. 'Papa,' said Primrose, very thoughtfully, 'do you think Hazel will marry Duke?' Dr. Maryland and his daughter were driving homeward after some business which had taken them to the village. 'She will if she knows what is good for her,' the doctor answered decidedly. 'But she has been away from Chickaree now nearly a year.' 'I don't know what her guardian is thinking of,' Dr. Maryland said, somewhat discontentedly. 'Duke is her guardian too,' remarked Primrose. 'You land a fish sometimes best with a long line, my dear.' 'People say she has been very gay at Newport.' 'I am sorry to hear it.' 'Do you think, papa, she would ever settle down and be quiet and give all such gayety up?' 'The answer to that lies in what I do not know, my dear.' 'Papa,' Primrose went on, after the pause of a minute, 'don't you think the will was rather hard upon Hazel?' 'No,' said the doctor, decidedly. 'What can a girl want more?' 'But if she does not like Duke?' 'She is not obliged to marry him.' 'But she can't marry anybody else, papa, without losing all her fortune, that is——' 'Till she is twenty-five, my dear; only till she is twenty-five. She is not obliged to wait any longer than that, and no woman need be married before she is twenty-five.'