Infact，hehadbeenpossessedbyanotherluminousidea——awildideathattohimseemedalmostasabsurdastheonewhichhadbroughthimallthistrouble。Ithadcometohimlikethatone——
　　outofastarlitnight——andhehadrisenonemorningwithafeverishintenttoputitintoaction！ItbroughthimlatertotakeanunprecedentedwalkalonewithMissPottinger，tolingerundergreenleavesinunfrequentedwoods，andatlastseemedabouttodeserthimashestoodinalittlehollowwithherhandinhis——
　　theironlylisteneraninquisitivesquirrel。Yetthiswasallthedisappointedanimalheardhimstammer，——
　　“Soyousee，dear，itwouldTHENbenolie——for——don’tyousee？——
　　she’dbereallyMYmotheraswellasYOURS。“
　　ThemarriageofProsperRiggsandMissPottingerwasquietlycelebratedatSacramento，butProssy’s“oldmother“didnotreturnwiththehappypair。
　　OfMrs。Pottinger’slatercareersomeideamaybegatheredfromaletterwhichProsperreceivedayearafterhismarriage。
　　“Circumstances，“wroteMrs。Pottinger，“whichhadinducedmetoaccepttheofferofawidowertotakecareofhismotherlesshousehold，havesincedevelopedintoamoreenduringmatrimonialposition，sothatIcanalwaysoffermydearProsperahomewithhismother，shouldhechoosetovisitthislocality，andasecondfatherinHiramW。Watergates，Esq。，herhusband。“
　　THECONVALESCENCEOFJACKHAMLIN
　　Thehabituallyquiet，asceticfaceofSethRiverswassomewhatdisturbedandhisbrowswereknittedasheclimbedthelongascentofWindyHilltoitssummitandhisownrancho。Perhapsitwastheeffectofthecharacteristicwind，whichthatafternoonseemedtoassaulthimfromallpointsatonceanddidnotceaseitsbatteryevenathisfrontdoor，buthustledhimintothepassage，blewhimintothesittingroom，andthencelebrateditsownexitfromthelong，ramblinghousebythebangingofdoorsthroughoutthehallsandtheslammingofwindowsintheremotedistance。
　　Mrs。Riverslookedupfromherworkatthisabruptonsetofherhusband，butwithoutchangingherownexpressionofslightlyfatiguedself-righteousness。Accustomedtotheseelementaleruptions，shelaidherhandsfromforceofhabitupontheliftingtablecloth，andthenrosesubmissivelytobrushtogetherthescatteredembersandashesfromthelargehearthstone，asshehadoftendonebefore。
　　“You’reinearly，Seth，“shesaid。
　　“Yes。IstoppedattheCrossRoadsPostOffice。LuckyIdid，oryou’dhevhadkempanyonyourhandsaforeyouknowedit——thisverynight！IfoundthisletterfromDr。Duchesne，“andheproducedaletterfromhispocket。
　　Mrs。Riverslookedupwithanexpressionofworldlyinterest。Dr。
　　Duchesnehadbroughthertwochildrenintotheworldwithsomedifficulty，andhadskillfullyattendedherthroughalongillnessconsequentupontheinefficientmaternityofsoulfulbutfragileAmericanwomenofhertype。Thedoctorhadmorethanamerelocalreputationasasurgeon，andMrs。RiverslookeduptohimashersoleconnectinglinkwithaworldofthoughtbeyondWindyHill。
　　“He’scomin’upyerto-night，bringin’afriendofhis——apatientthathewantsustoboardandkeepforthreeweeksuntilhe’swellagin，“continuedMr。Rivers。“Yeknowhowthedoctorusedtoraveaboutthepureaironourhill。“
　　Mrs。Riversshiveredslightly，anddrewhershawloverhershoulders，butnoddedapatientassent。
　　“Well，hesaysit’sjustwhatthatpatientoughterhavetocurehim。He’shadlungfeverandotherthings，andthisyerairandgin’ralquietisboundtosethimup。We’retoboardandkeephimwithoutanyfussorfeathers，andthedoctorsezhe’llpayliberalforit。Thisyer’swhathesez，“concludedMr。Rivers，readingfromtheletter:“’Heisnowfullyconvalescent，thoughweak，andreallyrequiresnoothermedicinethanthe——ozone’——yes，that’swhatthedoctorcallsit——’ofWindyHill，andinfactaslittleattendanceaspossible。Iwillnotlethimkeepevenhisnegroservantwithhim。He’llgiveyounotrouble，ifhecanbeprevailedupontostaythewholetimeofhiscure。’“
　　“There’sourspareroom——ithasn’tbeenusedsinceParsonGreenwoodwashere，“saidMrs。Riversreflectively。“Melindacouldputittorightsinanhour。Atwhattimewillhecome？“
　　“He’dcomeaboutnine。TheydriveoverfromHightowndepot。But，“
　　headdedgrimly，“hereyeareorderin’roomstobedoneupandyedon’tknowwhofor。“
　　“YousaidafriendofDr。Duchesne，“returnedMrs。Riverssimply。
　　“Dr。Duchesnehasmanyfriendsthatyouandmemightn’tcottonto，“
　　saidherhusband。“ThismanisJackHamlin。“Ashiswife’sremoteandintrospectiveblackeyesreturnedonlyvacancy，headdedquickly。“Thenotedgambler！“
　　“Gambler？“echoedhiswife，stillvaguely。
　　“Yes——reg’lar；it’shisbusiness。“
　　“Goodness，Seth！Hecan’texpecttodoithere。“
　　“No，“saidSethquickly，withthatsenseoffairnesstohisfellowmanwhichmostwomenfinditsodifficulttounderstand。“No——andheprobablywon’tmentiontheword’card’whilehe’shere。“
　　“Well？“saidMrs。Riversinterrogatively。
　　“And，“continuedSeth，seeingthattheobjectionwasnotpressed，he’soneofthemdespritmen！Areg’larfighter！Killedtwoorthreemenindools！“
　　Mrs。Riversstared。“WhatcouldDr。Duchesnehavebeenthinkingof？Why，wewouldn’tbesafeinthehousewithhim！“
　　AgainSeth’ssenseofequitytriumphed。“Ineverheardofhisfightin’anybodybuthisownkind，andwhenhewasbullyragged。
　　Andeztowomenhe’squitet’otherwayinfact，andthat’swhyI
　　thinkyeoughterknowitaforeyoulethimcome。Hedon’tgoroundwithdecentwomen。Infact“——ButhereMr。Rivers，inthesanctityofconjugalconfidencesandthefullnessofBiblereading，usedafewstrongscripturalsubstantiveshappilyunnecessarytorepeathere。
　　“Seth！“saidMrs。Riverssuddenly，“youseemtoknowthisman。“
　　TheunexpectednessandirrelevancyofthisforamomentstartledSeth。ButthatchasteandGod-fearingmanhadnosecrets。“Onlybyhearsay，Jane，“hereturnedquietly；“butifyesaythewordI’llstophiscomin’now。“
　　“It’stoolate，“saidMrs。Riversdecidedly。
　　“Ireckonnot，“returnedherhusband，“andthat’swhyIcamestraighthere。I’veonlygottomeetthematthedepotandsaythisthingcan’tbedone——andthat’stheendofit。They’llgooffquiettothehotel。“
　　“Idon’tliketodisappointthedoctor，Seth，“saidMrs。Rivers。
　　“Wemight，“sheadded，withatroubledlookofinquiryatherhusband，“wemighttakethatMr。Hamlinontrial。Likeasnothewon’tstay，anyway，whenheseeswhatwe’relike，Seth。Whatdoyouthink？ItwouldbeonlyourChristianduty，too。“
　　“Iwasthinkin’o’thatasaprofessin’Christian，Jane，“saidherhusband。“Butsupposin’thatotherChristiansdon’tlookatitinthatlight。Thar’sDeaconStubbsandhiswifeandtheparson。Yerememberwhathesaidabout’nocovenantwithsin’？“
　　“TheStubbseshavenorighttodictatewhoI’llhaveinmyhouse，“
　　saidMrs。Riversquickly，withafaintflushinherrathersallowcheeks。
　　“It’syoursayandnobodyelse’s，“assentedherhusbandwithgrimsubmissiveness。“Youdowhatyoulike。“
　　Mrs。Riversmused。“There’sonlymyselfandMelindahere，“shesaidwithsublimenaivete；“andthechildrenain’toldenoughtobecorrupted。Iamsatisfiedifyouare，Seth，“andsheagainlookedathiminquiringly。
　　“Goahead，then，andgetreadyfor’em，“saidSeth，hurryingawaywithunaffectedrelief。“Ifyouhaveeverythingfixedbynineo’clock，that’lldo。“
　　Mrs。Rivershadeverything“fixed“bythathour，includingherselfpresumably，forshehadputonagraydresswhichsheusuallyworewhenshoppinginthecountytown，addingaprimcollarandcuffs。
　　Apearl-encircledbrooch，theweddinggiftofSeth，andasolitaireringnexttoherweddingring，withalocketcontainingherchildren’shair，accentedherpositionasaproperwifeandmother。
　　Ataquartertonineshehadfinishedtidyingtheparlor，openingtheharmoniumsothatthelightmightplayuponitspolishedkeyboard，andbringingfromtheforgottenseclusionofherclosettwobeautifullyboundvolumesofTupper’s“Poems“andPollok’s“CourseofTime，“toimpartaliterarygracetothecentretable。
　　Shethendrewachairtothetableandsatdownbeforeitwithareligiousmagazineinherlap。Thewindroaredoverthedeep-
　　throatedchimney，theclocktickedmonotonously，andthentherecamethesoundofwheelsandvoices。
　　ButMrs。Riverswasnotdestinedtoseeherguestthatnight。Dr。
　　Duchesne，underthesafeleeofthedoor，explainedthatMr。Hamlinhadbeenexhaustedbythejourney，and，assistedbyamildopiate，wasasleepinthecarriage；thatifMrs。Riversdidnotobject，theywouldcarryhimatoncetohisroom。Intheflaringandgutteringofcandles，theflashingoflanterns，theflappingofcoatsandshawls，andthebewilderingrushofwind，Mrs。Riverswasonlyvaguelyconsciousofaslightfiguremuffledtightlyinacloakcarriedpastherinthearmsofagrizzlednegroupthestaircase，followedbyDr。Duchesne。Withtheclosingofthefrontdooronthetumultuousworldwithout，asilencefellagainonthelittleparlor。