ate was always ready to help. If anybody had a plan on hand, it
was very hard to keep her finger out of it; and if there were
calculations to be made, it was all the better. Kate had a fine head for
mathematics, and, on the whole, she rather preferred a slate and pencil
to needles and spool-cotton.

As to Aunt Matilda, there could be no doubt about her case being a
pretty hard one. She was quite old and decrepit when the war set her
free, and, at the time of our story, she was still older and stiffer.
Her former master had gone to the North to live, and as she had no
family to support her, the poor old woman was compelled to depend upon
the charity of her neighbors. For a time she managed to get along
tolerably well, but it was soon found that she would suffer if she
depended upon occasional charity, especially after she became unable to
go after food or help. Mr. and Mrs. Loudon were very willing to give her
what they could, but they had several poor people entirely dependent
upon them, and they found it impossible to add to the number of their
pensioners. So it was finally determined among the neighbors that Aunt
Matilda would have to go to the alms-house, which place was provided for
just such poor persons as she. Neither Harry nor Kate knew much about
the alms-house, but they thought it must be some sort of a horrible
place; and, at any rate, it was too hard that Aunt Matilda should have
to leave her old home where she had spent so many, many years.

And they did not intend she should do it.

CHAPTER II.

THE ADOPTION.

When the children reached Aunt Matilda's cabin, they found the old woman
seated by a very small fire, which was burning in one corner of the
hearth.

"Are you cold, Aunt Matilda?" asked Kate.

"Lor' bless you, no, honey! But you see there wasn't hardly any coals
left, and I was tryin' to keep the fire alive till somebody would come
along and gather me up some wood."

"Then you were going to cook your breakfast, I suppose," said Harry.

"Yes, child, if somebody 'ud come along and fetch me something to eat."

"Haven't you anything at all in the house?" asked Kate.

"Not a pinch o' meal, nor nothin' else," said the old woman; "but I
'spected somebody 'ud be along."

"Did you know, Aunt Matilda," said Harry, "that they are going to send
you to the alms-house?"

"Yes; I heerd 'em talk about it," said Aunt Matilda, shaking her head;
"but the alms-house ain't no place for me."

"Th