r troublesome."

"Don't be alarmed, mother; he'll never think of me when you are
around," was Lenora's reply in which Mrs. Carter saw more than one
meaning.

That evening the bridal party repaired to the homestead, where, at Mr.
Hamilton's request, Mrs. Kirby was waiting to receive them. Willie had
been told by the servants that his mother was coming home that night,
and, with the trusting faith of childhood, he had drawn a chair to the
window from which he could see his mother's grave; and there for more
than an hour he watched for the first indications of her coming,
saying occasionally, "Oh, I wish she'd come. Willie's so sorry here."

At last growing weary and discouraged, he turned away and said, "No,
ma'll never come home again; Maggie said she wouldn't."

Upon the carriage road which wound from the street to the house there
was the sound of coming wheels, and Rachel, seizing Willie, bore him
to the front door, exclaiming, "An' faith, Willie, don't you see her?
That's your mother, honey, with the black gown."

But Willie saw only the wild eyes of Lenora, who caught him in her
arms, overwhelming him with caresses. "Let me go, Leno," said he, "I
want to see my ma. Where is she?"

A smile of scorn curled Lenora's lips as she released him, and leading
him toward her mother, she said, "There she is; there's your ma. Now
hold up your head and make a bow."

Willie's lip quivered, his eyes filled with tears, and hiding his face
in his apron, he sobbed, "I want my own ma--the one they shut up in a
big black box. Where is she, Leno?"

Mr. Hamilton took Willie on his knee, and tried to explain to him how
that now his own mother was dead, he had got a new one, who would love
him and be kind to him. Then putting him down, he said, "Go, my son,
and speak to her, won't you?"

Willie advanced rather cautiously toward the black silk figure, which
reached out its hand, saying, "Dear Willie, you'll love me a little,
won't you?"

"Yes, if you are good to me," was the answer, which made the new
stepmother mentally exclaim, "A young rebel, I know," while Lenora,
bending between the two, whispered emphatically:

"She _shall_ be good to you!"

And soon, in due order, the servants were presented to their new
mistress. Some were disposed to like her, others eyed her askance, and
old Polly Pepper, the black cook, who had been in the family ever
since Mr. Hamilton's first marriage, returned her salutation rather
gruffly, and