Rudder Grange.

" You ' re sure you kin bear it ? " said be . " Yes , " said I , my hand trembling as I held his coat . " Well , then , " said he , " it ' s mor ' n I kin , " and he jerked his coat out of my hand , ancl sprang aAvay . When he reached the other side of the road , he turned and shouted at me , as though I had been deaf .

"Do you know Avhat I think ? " he yelled . " I think you ' re a darned lunatic , " and Avith that he Aveut his Avay . I hastened on to Peter ' s Point . Long before I reached it , I saw the boat .

It Avas apparently deserted . But still I pressed on . I must knoAv the Avorst . When I reached the Point , I found that the boat had run aground , with her head in among the long reeds ancl mud , ancl the rest of her hull lying at an angle from the shore .

There Avas consequently no Avay for me to get on board , but to ivade through the mud ancl reeds to her IIOAV , and then climb up as well as I could . This I did , but it Avas not easy to do . TAVICO I sank above my knees in mud ancl

water , and bad it not been for reeds , masses of Avhich I frequently clutched Avhen I thought I was going over , I believe I should have fallen doAvn ancl come to my death in that horrible marsh . When I reached the boat , I stood up to my hips

in water and saAv no Avay of climbing up . The gang-plank had undoubtedl y floated aAvay , and if it had not , it Avould have been of no use to me in my position . But I was desperate . I clasped the post that they put in the bow of canal-boats I

; stuck my toes and my finger-nails in the cracks between the boards—how glad I was that the boat Avas an old one and had cracks !— ancl so , painfully ancl sloivly , slipping part way doAvn once or twice , and besliming myself from chin to foot , I

climbed up that post ancl scrambled upon deck . In an instant , I reached the top of the stairs , and in another instant I rushed below . There sat my wife ancl our boarder , one on each side of the dining-room table

com-, p lacently playing checkers 1 My sudden entrance startled them . My appearance startled them still more . Euphemia sprang to her feet and tottered toward me .

" Mercy ! " she exclaimed ; " has anything happened ?" " Happened ! " I gasped . " Look here , " cried the boarder , clutching me by the . arm , _ " Avhat a condition you ' re in . Did you fall in ? " " Fall in ! " said I . Euphemia and the boarder looked at each other . I looked at them . Then I

opened my mouth m earnest . " I suppose you don ' t knoAv , " I yelled , " that you have drifted aAvay !" " By George ! " cried the boarder , and in two bounds he Avas on deck .

Dirty as I Avas , Euphemia fell into my arms . I told her all . She hadn ' t known a bit of it ! The boat had so gently drifted off , ancl had so gently grounded among the reeds , that the voyage had never so much as disturbed their game of checkers .

" He plays such a splendid game , " Euphemia sobbed , " ancl just as you came , I thought 1 Avas going to beat him . I had two kings and tAvo pieces on the next to last row , and you are nearly droAvned . You'll get your death of cold — ancl—and

he had only one king . " She led me aAvay and I undressed and Avashed myself and put on my Sunday clothes . When I reappeared , I went out on deck Avith Euphemia . The boarder Avas there , standing by the petunia bed . His arms Avere folded ancl he Avas thinking

profoundly . As Ave approached , he turned towards ns . "You were rig ht about that anchor , " he said , " I should not have hauled it in ; but it Avas such a little anchor that I thought it Avould be of more use on board

as a garden hoe . " " A very little anchor will sometimes do very Avell , " said I , cuttingly , " Avhen it is hooked around a tree . " " Yes , there is something in that , " said he .

It was now groAving late , and as on' ' agitation subsided Ave began to groAV hungry . Fortunately , Ave had everything necessary on board , and , as it really didn t make any difference in our household Avhere we happened to be located ,

economy , Ave had supper quite as usual . In fact , the kettle had been put on to boil during the checker-rjlaying . After supper , Ave went on deck to smoke ,