she should not do so, Mary accompanied
Jenny home, where, as she had expected, she met with a cool reception
from Rose, who merely nodded to her, and then resumed the book she was
reading. After tea, Mary stepped for a moment into the yard, and then
Rose asked Jenny what she intended doing with her "genteel visitor."

"Put her in the best chamber, and sleep there myself," said Jenny,
adding that "they were going to lie awake all night just to see how it
seemed."

But in spite of this resolution, as midnight advanced Jenny found that
Mary's answers, even when Billy Bender was the topic, became more and
more unsatisfactory, and finally ceased altogether. Concluding to let
her sleep a few minutes, and then wake her up, Jenny turned on her
pillow and when her eyes again opened, the morning sun was shining
through the half-closed shutters, and the breakfast bell was jingling
in the lower hall.

When Mary returned to the poor-house, she found a new arrival in the
person of Mrs. Perkins! The widow had hailed Mike as he passed her
house the day before, and on learning how matters stood, offered to
accompany him home. Mike, who had an eye for "fancy-looking girls,"
did not exactly like Mrs. Perkins' appearance. Besides that, his
orders were to bring Mary, and he had no idea of taking another as a
substitute. Accordingly, when on his return from Mrs. Mason's, he saw
the widow standing at her gate, all equipped with parasol and satchel,
he whipped up his horse, and making the circuit of the school-house,
was some ways down the road ere the widow suspected his intentions.
"Thanking her stars" (her common expression) "that she had a good pair
of feet," Mrs. Perkins started on foot, reaching the poor-house about
sunset. She was now seated in what had been Mrs. Parker's room, and
with pursed-up lips, and large square collar very much like the
present fashion, was stitching away upon the shroud, heaving
occasionally a long-drawn sigh, as she thought how lonely and desolate
poor Mr. Parker must feel!

"Will you give me some work?" asked Mary, after depositing her bonnet
upon the table.

"There's nothing for you," returned Mrs. Perkins. "I can do all that
is necessary, and prefer working alone."

"Yes, she shall help too, if she wants to," snapped out Mrs. Grundy,
with one of her old shoulder jerks. "Mary's handy with the needle, for
I larnt her myself."

In a short time Mrs. Perkins disappeared from the room, and Sally's
litt