left. With this he paid his passage to Charleston, where he hoped to find some friends to aid him in this hour of trial. On his arrival he found himself a stranger and penniless, so he walked up and down the streets, looking occasionally into the brilliant saloons that once had attraction for him. At length, wearied and sad, he leaned his head against a lamp post and wept. He stood, he knew not how long. A hand was laid upon his shoulders, and he was addressed by a tall, dark complexioned, black-eyed man. He asked him in a foreign accent, "What he was snivelling there for?". "Because, sir, I have nowhere else to snivel, as you please to call it." "Then if you haven't had better you come with me; I will give you better lodgings." Reaching his arm, which Walter took immediately, they wound their way, arm in arm, through several

streets, till they came to a respectable looking building inclosed by a high iron fence. They passed around to the back part of the building, and entered a side door into a long dark hall, out of which several doors opened. A shudder of fear came over Walter as he followed his guide, and as the hand of the stranger opened one of the lower doors, dark forebodings again settled upon the heart that had once been alive to hope and happiness. They entered a small room evidently fitted for the accommodation of only one person

The black-eyed stranger knew what was necessary to rally the spirits of his new guest.

"Make yourself at home, sir; you are with your friends. You will stay here to-night; I shall be engagedso you will have to entertain yourself until morning, unless some of my boys

will drop in and spend an hour with you this evening. I have a little of the good stuff here. Will you take a glass?" Opening a cupboard that was handy by, he gave him a decanter and told him to help himself. "When you

wish your supper you can ring for it, there will be servants to wait upon you." Bowing low he bade him "good night," and he left the room.

Walter, being alone, asked himself repeatedly, "What does this mean? I have no acquaintance with this gentleman. Perhaps it is a French gentle man with whom my father has had an acquaintance, and I don't see how this can be either."

After taking a second glass of Jamaica, he concluded that it was a good place, and there was no use of puzzling his brain to find out who or what his host was. He at length rang the bell for supper. A comfortable meal was

soon in readiness for him, and he was in a state to enjoy it, for he had not taken any nourishment during the day. He did not want any one to come to entertain him. In a state of bewildered astonishment he threw himself on his bed, where he slept soundly till morning.

His host called on him and gave his name as Brown, that he was captain of a vessel that then lay in port bound for the East Indies. "If you would like a berth on board I can accommodate you, but I should not like to make such a looking fellow as you a common sailor. If your name is Walter Bertram, I shall take the liberty to enroll you as Washington Axcelle."

"It is immaterial to me, Captain Brown, by what name I am called." "Then just keep your real name to yourself, sir, and I will make a man of

you yet, and you will have no occasion to wash the lamp post with your tears again. We are to have a sailor's levee to-night, and I wish you to be in attendance, Mr. Axcelle."

Walter drew a long breath, knowing that he had no means to make preparations to appear in public. As Captain Brown left the room he threw a purse of gold upon the table, saying, " Cheer up, my boy, there are better days coming."

Walter had never thought of being a sailor, but this new idea pleased him; he spent the day in making preparations for the evening. He was introduced to several of Captain Brown's men, and visited the vessel in which he hoped to sail in a few days, and be enabled to forget the past. Evening at length came; in company with several of his new comrades, he went to the place of