aying, "Come and take a few
turns on the piazza with Carrie. The air is bracing this morning, and
will do her good."

Willie, who was present, cried out, "No--Carrie is sick; she can't
walk--Maggie said she couldn't," and he grasped his sister's hand to
hold her. With a not very gentle jerk Mrs. Hamilton pulled him off,
while Lenora, who came bobbing and bounding into the room, took
Carrie's arm, saying.

"Oh, yes, I'll walk with you; shall we have a hop, skip, or jump?"

"Don't, don't!" said Carrie, holding back; "I can't walk fast,
Lenora," and actuated by some sudden impulse of kindness, Lenora
conformed her steps to those of the invalid. Twice they walked up and
down the piazza, and were about turning for the third time, when
Carrie, clasping her hand over her side, exclaimed, "No, no; I can't
go again."

Little Willie, who fancied that his sister was being hurt, sprang
toward Lenora, saying, "Leno, you mustn't hurt Carrie. Let her go;
she's sick."

And now to the scene of action came Dame Hamilton, and seizing her
young stepson, she tore him away from Lenora, administering at the
same time a bit of a motherly shake. Willie's blood was up, and in
return he dealt her a blow, for which she rewarded him by another
shake, and by tying him to the table.

That Lenora was not all bad was shown by the unselfish affection she
ever manifested for Willie, although her untimely interference between
him and her mother oftentimes made matters worse. Thus, on the
occasion of which we have been speaking, Mrs. Hamilton had scarcely
left the room ere Lenora released Willie from his confinement, thereby
giving him the impression that his mother alone was to blame.
Fortunately, however, Margaret's judgment was better, and though she
felt justly indignant at the cruelty practised upon poor Carrie, she
could not uphold Willie in striking his mother. Calling him to her
room, she talked to him until he was wholly softened, and offered, of
his own accord, to go and say he was sorry, provided Maggie would
accompany him as far as the door of the sitting-room, where his mother
would probably be found. Accordingly, Mag descended the stairs with
him, and meeting Lenora in the hall, said, "Is she in the
sitting-room?"

"Is _she_ in the sitting-room?" repeated Lenora; "and pray who may
_she_ be?" then quick as thought she added, "Oh, yes, I know. She is
in there telling HE!"

Lenora was right in her conjecture, for Mrs. Hamilton, great