"I am sorry, madam," he said after he had become seated and made a few inquiries, "that I did not get the place for your son. In fact, I am to blame in the matter. But, I have been thinking since that he would suit me exactly, and if you have no objections, I will take him and pay him a salary of two hundred dollars for the first year." Mrs. Mayberry tried to reply, but her feelings were too much excited by this sudden and unlooked for proposal, to allow her to speak for some moments. Even then her assent was made with tears glistening on her cheeks. Arrangements were quickly made for the transfer of Hiram from the store where he had been engaged, to the counting room of Mr. Easy. The salary he received was just enough to enable Mrs. Mayberry, with what she herself earned, to keep her little together, until Hiram, who proved a valuable assistant in Mr. Easy's business, could command a larger salary, and render her more important hid. THE FIERY TRIAL. "THE amount of that bill, if you please, sir." The man thus unceremoniously addressed, lifted his eyes from the ledger, over which he had been bending for the last six hours, with scarcely the relaxation of a moment, and exhibited a pale, care-worn countenance--and, though still young, a head over which were thickly scattered the silver tokens of age. A sad smile played over his intelligent features, a smile meant to shake the sternness of the man who was troubling his peace, as he replied in a low, calm voice-- "To-day, it will be impossible, sir." "And how many times have you given me the same answer. I cannot waste my time by calling day after day, for so paltry a sum." A flush passed over the fine countenance of the man thus rudely addressed. But he replied in the same low tone, which now slightly trembled: "I would not ask you to call, sir, if I had the money But what I have not, I cannot give." "And pray when _will_ you have the money?" The man paused for some time, evidently calculating the future, and after a long-drawn sigh, as if disappointed with the result, said:-- "It will be two or three months, before I can pay it and even then, it will depend on a contingency." "Two or three months?--a contingency? It must come quicker and surer than that, sir." "That is the best I can say."