reason why Mabel should be despised.

Mr. Sherwood evidently did not think so, for the next day he walked by
alone--and the next day he did the same, this time bringing with him a
book, and seating himself in the shadow of a chestnut tree not far
from the schoolhouse. The moment school was out, he arose and came
forward, inquiring for Nellie, who, of course, introduced him to
Mabel. The three then walked on together, while Tom Jenkins stayed in
the rear with me, wondering what I wanted to act so for; "couldn't a
feller like more than one girl if he wanted to?"

"Yes, I s'posed a feller could, though I didn't know, nor care!"

Tom made no reply, but whittled away upon a bit of shingle, which
finally assumed the shape of a heart, and which I afterward found in
his desk with the letter "N" written upon it, and then scratched out.
When at last we reached our house Mr. Sherwood asked Nellie "where
that old mine and sawmill were, of which she had told him so much."

"Right on Miss Hudson's way home," said Nellie. "Let's walk along with
her;" and the next moment Mr. Sherwood, Mabel, and Nellie were in the
long, green lane which led down to the sawmill.

Oh, how Adaline stormed when she heard of it, and how sneeringly she
spoke to Mr. Sherwood of the "factory girl," insinuating that the
bloom on her cheek was paint, and the lily on her brow powder! But he
probably did not believe it, for almost every day he passed the
schoolhouse, generally managing to speak with Mabel; and once he went
all the way home with her, staying ever so long, too, for I watched
until 'twas pitch dark, and he hadn't got back yet!

In a day or two he went home, and I thought no more about him, until
Tom, who had been to the post-office, brought Mabel a letter, which
made her turn red and white alternately, until at last she cried. She
was very absent-minded the remainder of that day, letting us do as we
pleased, and never in my life did I have a better time "carrying on"
than I did that afternoon when Mabel received her first letter from
Mr. Sherwood.

CHAPTER V.

NEW RELATIONS.

About six weeks after the close of Mabel's school we were one day
startled with the intelligence that she was going to be married, and
to Mr. Sherwood, too. He had become tired of the fashionable ladies of
his acquaintance, and when he saw how pure and artless Mabel was, he
immediately became interested in her; and at last, overcoming all
feelings of pride, he