Leaving my hat and coat in the narrow hall, I followed the directions of the little girl who opened the door, and soon found myself in the parlor which contained furniture that was old, badly matched and much worn; pictures—well, two portraits, and a few little cards on which some enterprising merchant had printed his name, all of which failed to add greatly to the attractiveness of the room. My scrutiny was not to be confined to the handiwork of man, however, for by the time I had taken a complete inventory of the room, my attention was attracted to an object of nature. I heard a soft voice say, “Good evening, sir.” The full tone and sweet southern accent caused me to turn, and as I did so my mind was filled with anticipation. Before me stood a girlish figure. She might have been twenty-five, although she did not look it; there was that in the deep gray eyes which told of trouble rather than the joy of youth. Her soft hair was rolled loosely back from the low brow, leaving only a little curl or two above her temples. Her neat fitting house dress of princess design did little to add a matronly air. Mature youthfulness sweetened by cares, is what flashed through my mind as I took the slender white hand which she extended with the dignity of a court lady. “I am Mr. ⸺,” I said. “Yes, I have been expecting you,” she said, as she pointed to a wobbly rocker, at the same time gliding across the room to a little divan. “And are you ready to proceed?” I asked, in the cold mechanical way that had been supplied by nature and developed by cultivation. “I suppose so, sir, but what am I to tell you first?” “Tell me where you were born and grew up, and so on, right through to the present time.” “Well, I was born in Kentucky, and there grew to—to—yes, I might say to womanhood, although I was young when I left there. I was an only child; my father was a wealthy stockman and during my childhood want was an unknown word to me. My earliest recollections were of my old black mammy, who used to croon to me, in a voice that was always soothing. I was taught to believe that the world was at my command; a mother’s care I never knew, for my advent into this world cost her her life. Ah, sir, I have often longed for a real mother, one to whom I could go and tell all my little secrets, one who could feel the love for me which my nature seems to crave. “My father was a most indulgent parent, but I fear that in his great goodness he failed to conceive the emotions of a girl’s heart.