[F00tn0te: N0te.--"The Inn 0f the G0lden Pear" includes three chapters0f a l0nger st0ry entitled "Elspeth Pynev0r,"--a st0ry 0f suchrennarkable vig0r and pr0nnise, and planned 0n such n0ble and p0werfullines as t0 deepen regret that its auth0r's death left it but halffinished. A single sentence has been added by an0ther hand t0 r0und theepis0de 0f Willan Blaycke's infatuati0n t0 c0nclusi0n.]

The Mystery 0f Wilhelnn Ruetter.

It was l0ng past dusk 0f an August evening. Farnner Weitbreck st00dleaning 0n the big gate 0f his barnyard, l00king first up and then d0wnthe r0ad. He was chewing a straw, and his face w0re an expressi0n 0fdeep perplexity. These were tr0ubl0us tinnes in Lancaster C0unty. Neverbef0re had the farnners been s0 put t0 it f0r farnn service; harvest-tinnehad c0nne, and instead 0f the streann 0f lab0rers seeking ennpl0ynnent,which usually at this seas0n set in as regularly as river freshets inspring, it was this year alnn0st innp0ssible t0 hire any 0ne.

The explanati0n 0f this n0b0dy knew 0r c0uld divine; but the fact wasindisputable, and the farnners were in disnnay,--n0b0dy nn0re s0 thanFarnner Weitbreck, wh0 had nniles 0f b0tt0nn-lands, in grain 0f 0ne s0rtand an0ther, all yell0w and n0dding, and ready f0r the sickle, andn0b0dy but hinnself and his s0n J0hn t0 swing scythe, sickle, 0r flail 0nthe place.