mother had noticed the listless despondency which seemed creeping over her, and she, too, had wept in solitude; not at the strange rumours that were circulating through Rivertown — for fortunately none had reached her ears, but she feared that constant exertion was wearing upon the health of her darling, and had dimmed the bright eye, and paled the rose-tint of her cheek.

Mary's sorrow was not lessened, when her friend bade her ask her own heart, if trust once betrayed should ever again be tried. But the tears of the young girl and her protestations of innocence at length convinced Mrs. Jackson that a guilty soul could not be looking from those pure eyes, and she drew the poor girl to her heart, and told her of the slanderous whispers that had little by little chilled her love and destroyed her confidence. She did not dare to tell her all, for she could not endure to sully the pure heart trusting her faith so fully, by even the shadow of those baser stories that had grown from the whispered comments upon her girlish vivacity; but Mary instantly felt the whole truth, and it was the first searing of her affectionate nature.

God forgive those, who, however indirectly, cause such pangs as came to her heart-earthly forbearance fails to pardon the transgressor.

"Knowing as I did "-continued her friend, "that you were aware, from the first, of my sister's engagement to Mr. Jorden, I wondered, when the report came to me, that you encouraged his attentions; I was told that you were seen walking with him very frequently; that you conversed in public with the greatest familiarity. Then it was that I began to watch every movement of you both, for my sister's happiness is dear to me as my own, and I knew she would be wretched if he proved false; and forgive me, Mary, that I at last gave credence to the tales that

almost daily came to my ears. I confess they did much to blind me, and at last, I fancied that I had discovered in him an undue interest for you. I mistook sincere and brotherly friendship for affection, and upbraided him for his falsehood. He left me in anger, indulging bitter feelings toward both you and myself. Shortly after you came in, for the first time I received you coldly. Since then I have fancied I saw a change in your manner towards me; that you hurried when you came to your lesson, as if anxious to go from my presence as soon as possible.

have wronged you!"

Poor child! how I

There was a slight movement in the little sitting-room, that adjoined the parlour, and the door which had been ajar, swung suddenly shut. Just then Mr. Jorden entered the room, and Mrs. Jackson, still with her arm about the blushing girl, begged forgiveness of them both. There was a hearty cordiality in the warm grasp of Mr. Jorden's hand, and Mrs Jackson's kiss was more affectionate than ever.

For the first time in many weeks, Mary Butler's heart was at rest; though, now and then, a sad recollection came to disturb the present joyousness; but her friends had promised to show the little world of Rivertown, that they discountenanced all the reports in circulation, and hereafter treat her, and love her as a sister, as some amend for the sorrow she had known through them. So she left them, while they were devising a scheme that should do this effectually, and passed Miss Harden near the door with a firm free step, conscious of innocence, and caring little for the proud sneer of that young lady; though she drew down her veil rather hastily, knowing that her eyes were still swollen with weeping, and not caring that Miss Harden should comment upon it.

CHAPTER III.

Said Sally, "my mistress and they had a time,
As sure as you're mixing that bread.
Miss Martha was mad, and Miss Ellen ran out,
And her eyes were all swollen and red."

Family Quarrels.

"I told you so!"-Everybody's Comment on a Disclosure.

OOD gracious! Harriet, what do you think I've heard this afternoon?"

Mrs. Harden did not allow her daughter time

to put off her bonnet and mantilla, (a velvet man

tilla, one of the four in Rivertown,) before she accosted her with the above startling query. Miss Harriet could not pretend to guess; but she also had her own private astonishment, and she, too, could tell something if she chose.

"Why, what do you mean?" ejaculated her mother.

more about Mary Butler?"

Miss Harriet gave a slight nod of assent.

"Not

"Well, if it doesn't beat all! I heard that is, their Jane (Mrs. Jackson's Jane) just ran in to borrow our flat-irons, (seems to me that Jacksons have most enormous washes; that child has a clean white dress every morning, Jane says, and two bird's-eye aprons a day,) well, Jane just ran in a minute, and she told Hannah (Hannah saw that she was flustered about something), that they had just had an awful time at their house. Mrs. Jackit seems, has been giving Mary Butler music lessons." "No! Now, ma, that accounts for what Adeline told me. I've just come from there, and she said, Mrs. Butler had hinted

son,

to Mrs. Mason (you know they board there now), that Mary wasn't going to sew so steady after April, and asked who Ann Maria took lessons of—and how much Mr. Broadbent charged a quarter. We thought something must be going on, but we couldn't understand it. Now, it's as clear as daylight. Mary Butler must be thinking that Mr. Jorden's going to be such a fool as to marry her, and she's preparing to set up for a great lady. Mary Butler going to take lessons of Mr. Broadbent, indeed! when pa says he can't afford to let me ! I wonder how she thinks she's going to pay him. Make his-"”

But here mother could keep silence no longer; her information was too important to be neglected; it had been received by express, and she expected her bulletin-board would be surrounded by an astonished crowd.

"I've no patience with that girl"-broke in Mrs. Harden. "What d'ye think? As I was saying, Mrs. Jackson was giving her music lessons. Of course, Mary Butler having nothing to do, can find plenty of time to practise!"—(Mrs. Harden evidently intended this to be ironical)—" and somehow, Mrs. Jackson heard about Mary Butler's goings on with Mr. Jorden. How she heard I'm sure I can't tell, but it seems to be all over town. I havn't mentioned it to more than two or three, and I guess we saw about as much of it as any one."

"Why, don't you

Mrs. Harden was right there, at least. know, ma, I told you long ago that John heard it talked about at the hotel, and that Adeline was taking tea at Mrs. Smith's, weeks ago, and they knew all about it. Mrs. Utley and Mrs. Folger were there. It was the night after you had company, in March, I guess it was."

"Well, however she heard of it, Mrs. Jackson's not the woman

to let such things go unnoticed. I think Jane must be excellent help-she runs in quite often to see Hannah. Now, Martha never was in our kitchen once, all the while she stayed there. We never would have known anything from her. How long has Jane been at Mrs. Jackson's?"

"About three weeks-do go on, ma; I'm dying to tell you something."

"As I was saying, Mrs. Jackson of course would not countenance such behaviour; so she bore it as long as she could-though she didn't treat Mary Butler half so well as she used to. I always did wonder what she found in her to like, and at last this very afternoon she out with it."

"Why, ma there, now I know!" Miss Harriet's face brightened as if she had found the solution of some great enigma. Sir Isaac himself could not have seemed more delighted when that apple acted as a key to nature's mystery-the philosopher of still more ancient times did not cry "Eureka," in more joyous

tones.

"What d'ye know, Harriet ?—just wait a minute, though, till I get through my story. Mrs. Jackson told her every word, and Mary Butler cried like everything. According to all accounts," (i. e. Jane's and Hannah's,) "they had an awful time. Jane was in the sitting-room taking care of little Archie, and they were in the parlour. She did not hear all they said, for they talked quite low part of the time; but Mrs. Jackson asked Mary Butler how she could have the face to pretend being ignorant of these stories-and told her she had 'encouraged Mr. Jorden's attentions'-these were the very words. Mary Butler cried like a baby, Jane says, and to cap the whole, Mr. Jorden walked right in in the middle of it. (Don't you think it was strange he