The free press., 1894-03-01

boys at home"
"Why did you not tell me before?'
"Because-ahem !-as | said, I was
thinking of you only. But surely,
darling, you will not object to being a
mother to my poor motherless little
ones? You cannot care so little for
| me, Alice, as to make this ground
for refusing to become my wife? No,
no! ! yours is too noble q nature for
that p
Dear little things!" she said softly.
"Of course you will bring them to see
me-"
Accordingly, when she next entered
the parlor to receive him, she beheld,
seated in row on divan, three we'll
grown boys, all of whom regarded
her with looks of undisguised hos
tility.
"Alice, my DEAR" said Mr.. Bowers,
advancing to meet her, ''these are my
motherless little ones who will, 1 trust,
be help and comfort to you. This
is George, the eldest, twelve years old.
Come here, George, and shake hands
with this lady. She is to be your
mother"
60 l., f,,4 ,4,1ro ofa Tfb bor
with tiendish leer, which caused her
blood to run cold at the thought of all
that it might portend.
The second boy refused to shake
hands, and the youngest. aged eight,
muttered sullenly:
'I amt agoin' to call her mother. "
Mr.. Bowers sought to excuse his off
spring, but the look which he private
ly cast upon them was indicative of
future vengeance. And when George
knocked vase off table, and Reggie
shrieked that Arthur was sticking pins
in his back, Mr.. Bowers thought it
time to go.
"'Please wait awhile" the Widow
Wren gently said; adding with an
arch smile: GAS you gave me little
surprise yesterday, I have one for you
to-day"
She left the room; and presently
there was a sound in the hall of light
footsteps and a suppressed giggling
and whispering. Then Mrs. Wren re-
appeared, closely followed by five lit
tie girls, the youngest of whom she
led by the hand.
"You have brought your boys to see
me-" she said smiling; ''and now,
pray allow me to introduce my own
darlings-Helen, Rosa, Agnes, Lilly
and Marie. Helen is the eldest, ten
years old, and darling little Marie not
quite three. Rosa is like her father,
here the widow looked pensively at
the little one and sighed" "and Agnes
and Marie are thought to resemble me.
Do you think SOP" she added sweetly.
To depict in words the expression
of blank surprise and dismay upon the
face of Mr.. Bowers would be impos-
sible. He could only stare and me-
chanically shake the hand of each lit
tie girl as she was presented to
him. -
Then the widow led them to the
corner where the three boys sat; and
five minutes thereafter the two young
est girls were crying, the next two in
a high state of Indignation, and the
eldest engaged in struggle with Mas
ter George, who was trying to cut OF
her ringlets with his pocket-knife.
"Oh," said the widow, anxiously,
.I am afraid hope-do You think, -
turning appealingly to MIR. Bowers
.that they could ever geton together?
My little pets are very good and ami
able; but, you see, they are not ac-
customed to boys.
Mr.. Bowers answered vaguely, that
che hoped so."
But all the way home his mind was
in dazed and agitated state, as 1t
dwelt upon that group OF eight chill
dren in the Widow Wren's parlor'
Eight children-boys and girls-and
none of them above twelve years OF
age!
He thought of the family board
with four seats on each side, and the
constant squabbing of which 1t was 10
be the scene; of the family pew ana Oh
how people would smile as the lnfah-
tile procession filed into 1t.
Good heavens! it would never never