Of her friends in the city there were many who had never in a lifetime known what it was to spend half a dozen consecutive daytime, waking hours in perfect solitude, catching not so much as a fleeting glimpse of a servant, a policeman, a nurse, or a street-car conductor in the echoing street.

He spoke to the conductor on the way out, and tipped the porter and maid liberally to look after the travelers' comfort.

" The conductor, it developed, was shifting passengers from the car behind the one in which Bob and Betty had seats.

" "The conductor said to take any vacant seat," said the newcomer.

In a few minutes Bob was back, and with him the conductor.

The girl opened her mouth, glanced at the conductor, and thought better of whatever she was going to say.

" "All aboard!" shouted the conductor, who foresaw a lively trip.

When the conductor came through for tickets, she discovered that she had mislaid hers and it was necessary to flutter the pages of every book before the missing bit of pasteboard finally dropped from between the leaves of the last one opened.

In a few moments the conductor flung open the car door angrily.

"Anybody in here jerk that bellcord?" demanded the conductor, scowling.

the conductor's voice changed perceptibly.

The conductor shot a suspicious glance toward him.

What makes you think you're paralyzed?" "My good man," said the woman majestically, "when a person in good health and accustomed to normal activity suddenly loses the power to use hererfeet, isn't that an indication of some physical trouble?" Her unfortunate and un-American phrase, "my good man," had nettled the conductor, and besides his train was losing time.

" Jacopo followed his mild conductor into one of the neglected closets of the second floor, where, in truth, he was glad to catch a glimpse of the state of things in the piazza, before he left the palace.

She was pulling down these sleeves when the conductor came through the train.

The conductor looked curiously at her.

"Beats all," thought the conductor, using his utility formula for the universe.

Begging pardon of the Doctor and his conductor, I have often seen and partaken of cold sheep's head at as good breakfast-tables as ever they sat at.

The conductor and the brakeman, as they passed through, looked at them with renewed interest: it was evident now that they were going through to the terminus of the road.

"Goin' through, be ye?" said the conductor.

She laughed heartily, as she said, "Then Seth stays away, does he, on the nights when he would be sure of passengers?" The conductor laughed too, as he replied,- "Well, 'tisn't quite so bad's that.

The conductor, sensitive as are most New England people, spite of their apparent familiarity of address, to the least rebuff, felt the change in Mercy's tone, and walked away, thinking half surlily, "She needn't put on airs.

When they reached the station, it was, as the conductor had said, very dark; and it was raining hard.

The conductor, still surly from his fancied rebuff at Mercy's hands, walked away, and took no notice of them.

Had he merely given to civilization a new style of buttons, or an improved envelope, or a punch for a railway conductor, or a spring for a carriage, or a mining tool, or a screw, or revolver, or reaper, the inventors of which have "seen millions in them," and been cheated out of his gains, he might have whimpered over his wrongs.