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 her 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.”