32 J. COLE.

body would just give it a hoist, and let me
get hold of it easy.”

Yes, Joe was strong and well, and I am sure,
happy, and I had never had a single misgiy-
ing about him since he stood with his fading
flowers and shabby clothes at my window that
summer day.

At last we were settled in town, and the
winter season beginning. Our house was situ-
ated in the West End of London, a little be-
yond Bayswater. One of a row of detached
houses, facing another row exactly similar in
every way, except that the backs of those we
lived in had small gardens, with each its own
stable wall at the end, with coachman’s rooms
above, the front of the stable facing the mews,
and having the entrance from there; the mews
ran all along the backs of these houses. On
the opposite side the houses facing ours had
their gardens and back windows facing the
high-road, and no stables. There was a private
road belonging to this, Holling Park as it was
called, and a watchman to keep intruders out,
and to stop organ-grinders, beggars, and such
invaders of the peace from disturbing us.