John, and come up alone; but before that, you will have received a

barrel CONTAINING SPECIMENS FOR A FRIEND. Do not open it on any account,

but leave it in the lobby till I come.

Yours in haste,

M. FINSBURY.

P.S.--Be sure and leave the barrel in the lobby.

'No,' said Gideon, 'there seems to be nothing about the monument,'

and he nodded, as he spoke, at the marble legs. 'Miss Hazeltine,' he

continued, 'would you mind me asking a few questions?'

'Certainly not,' replied Julia; 'and if you can make me understand why

Morris has sent a statue of Hercules instead of a barrel containing

specimens for a friend, I shall be grateful till my dying day. And what

are specimens for a friend?'

'I haven't a guess,' said Gideon. 'Specimens are usually bits of stone,

but rather smaller than our friend the monument. Still, that is not the

point. Are you quite alone in this big house?'

'Yes, I am at present,' returned Julia. 'I came up before them to

prepare the house, and get another servant. But I couldn't get one I

liked.'

'Then you are utterly alone,' said Gideon in amazement. 'Are you not

afraid?'

'No,' responded Julia stoutly. 'I don't see why I should be more afraid

than you would be; I am weaker, of course, but when I found I must sleep

alone in the house I bought a revolver wonderfully cheap, and made the

man show me how to use it.'

'And how do you use it?' demanded Gideon, much amused at her courage.

'Why,' said she, with a smile, 'you pull the little trigger thing on

top, and then pointing it very low, for it springs up as you fire, you

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