most worthy parent, shall feel compelled to resent
the insult by calling her father _Mr. Carter_!"

By this time Mrs. Carter was needed in the kitchen; so, leaving
Lenora, who at once was the pest and torment of her mother's life, we
will go into the village and see what effect the approaching nuptials
was producing. It was now generally known that the "lady from the
East" who had been "rocked in Mrs. Carter's cradle," was none other
than Mrs. Carter herself, and many were the reproving looks which the
people had cast toward Lenora for the trick she had put upon them. The
little hussy only laughed at them good-humoredly, telling them they
were angry because she had cheated them out of five months' gossip,
and that if her mother could have had her way, she would have sent the
news to the _Herald_ and had it inserted under the head of "Awful
Catastrophe!" Thus Mrs. Carter was exonerated from all blame; but many
a wise old lady shook her head, saying, "How strange that so fine a
woman as Mrs. Carter should have such a reprobate of a daughter."

When, this remark came to Lenora's ears she cut numerous flourishes,
which ended in the upsetting of a bowl of starch on her mother's new
black silk; then dancing before the highly indignant lady, she said,
"Perhaps if they knew what a scapegrace you represent my father to
have been, and how you whipped me once to make me say I saw him strike
you, when I never did, they would wonder at my being as good as I am."

Mrs. Carter was too furious to venture a verbal reply; so seizing the
starch bowl she hurled it with the remainder of the contents at the
head of the little vixen, who, with an elastic bound not entirely
unlike a somersault dodged the missile, which passed on and fell upon
the hearthrug.

This is but one of a series of similar scenes which occurred between
the widow and her child before the happy day arrived when, in the
presence of a select few of the villagers, Luella Carter was
transformed into Luella Hamilton. The ceremony was scarcely over when
Mr. Hamilton, who for a few days had been rather indisposed,
complained of feeling sick. Immediately Lenora, with a sidelong glance
at her mother, exclaimed, "What, sick of your bargain so quick? It's
sooner even than _I_ thought 'twould be, and I'm sure I'm capable of
judging."

"Dear Lenora," said Mrs. Carter, turning toward one of her neighbors,
"she has such a flow of spirits that I am afraid Mr. Hamilton will
find he