Poor woman, there was little of a brighter kind to occupy her thoughts.

Two occasions of grave anxiety were at present troubling her, and, though he spoke of them less, her husband in no less a degree.

It had just been announced to them that at the ensuing Christmas their rent would be raised, and at the same time the tenant who had for years occupied the house which they owned in the town of Barnhill had given notice of departure.

There was a certain grotesqueness in the fact of James Hood being a proprietor of real estate.

Twice an attempt had been made to sell the house in question, but no purchaser could be found; the building was in poor repair, was constantly entailing expense to the landlord, and, in the event of its becoming unoccupied, would doubtless wait long for another tenant.