going herself to the kitchen, where she knew
the water-pail was standing. No sooner had she decided upon this than
the room appeared full of little demons, who laughed, and chattered,
and shouted in her ears:

"Go--do it! Willie did, when the night was dark and chilly; but now it
is warm--nice and warm--try it, do!"

Tremblingly Mrs. Hamilton stepped upon the floor, and finding herself
too weak to walk, crouched down, and crept slowly down the stairs to
the kitchen door, where she stopped to rest. Across the room by the
window stood the pail, and as her eye fell upon it the mirth of the
little winged demons appeared in her disordered fancy to increase; and
when the spot was reached, the tumbler seized and thrust into the
pail, they darted hither and thither, shouting gleefully:

"Lower, lower down; just as Willie did. You'll find it, oh, you'll
find it!"

With a bitter cry Mrs. Hamilton dashed the tumbler upon the floor, for
the bucket was empty!

"Willie, Willie, you are avenged," she said; but the goblins answered:

"Not yet; no, not yet."

There was no pump in the well, and Mrs. Hamilton knew she had not
strength to raise the bucket by means of the windlass. Her exertions
had increased her thirst tenfold, and now for one cup of cooling water
she would have given all her possessions. Across the yard, at the
distance of twenty rods, there was a gushing spring, and thither in
her despair she determined to go. Accordingly, she went forth into the
fierce noontide blaze, and with almost superhuman efforts crawled to
the place. But what! was it a film upon her eyes? Had blindness come
upon her, or was the spring really dried up by the fervid summer heat?

"Willie's avenged! Willie's avenged!" yelled the imps as the wretched
woman fainted and fell backward upon the bank, where she lay with her
white, thin face upturned, and blistering beneath the August sun!

Along the dusty highway came a handsome traveling carriage, in which,
besides the driver, were seated two individuals, the one a young and
elegantly-dressed lady, and the other a gentleman, who appealed to be
on the most intimate terms with his companion; for whenever he would
direct her attention to any passing object, he laid his hand on hers,
frequently retaining it, and calling her "Maggie."

The carriage was nearly opposite the homestead, when the lady
exclaimed, "Oh, Richard, I must stop at my old home once more. Only
see how beautiful it is looking!"