"

I turned away and left the house. My principal errand was a visit to
the milliner's, where I wished to see a bonnet I had ordered, before
it was sent home. It was this bonnet I referred to when I desired
Anna to place carefully on the bed in my chamber, any thing that
might come home.

On my way to the milliner's, I stopped at the grocer's where we were
in the habit of dealing, and made selections of various things that
were needed.

The bonnet proved just to my taste. It was a delicate white spring
bonnet, with a neat trimming, and pleased my fancy wonderfully.

"The very thing," said I, the moment my eyes rested upon it.

"Do you want a box?" asked the milliner, after I had decided to take
the bonnet.

"I have one," was my answer.

"O, very well. I will send the bonnet home in a box, and you can
take it out."

"That will do."

"Shall I send it home this morning?"

"If you please."

"Very well. I'll see that it is done."

After this I made a number of calls, which occupied me until after
one o'clock, when I turned my face homeward. On arriving, I was
admitted by my new girl, and, as the thought of my beautiful bonnet
now returned to my mind, my first words were:

"Has any thing been sent home for me, Anna?"

"Och! yis indade, mum," was her answer,--"lots o' things."

"Lots of things!" said I, with manifest surprise; for I only
remembered at the moment my direction to the milliner to send home
my bonnet.

"Yis, indade!" responded the girl. "Lots. And the mon brought 'em on
the funniest whale barry ye iver seed."

"On a wheel barrow!"

"Yis. And such a whale barry! It had a whale on each side, as I'm a
livin' sinner, mum and a cunnin' little whale in front, cocked 'way
up intil the air, thot didn't touch nothin' at all--at all! There's
no sich whale barrys as thot same in Ireland, me leddy!"

"And what did you do with the lots of things brought on this wheel
barrow?" said I, now beginning to comprehend the girl.

"Put them on y'r bed, sure."

"On my bed!" I exclaimed, in consternation.

"Sure, and didn't I remember the last words ye spake till me?
'Anna,' says ye,--'Anna, if ony thing is sent home for me, be sure
till take it carefully up stairs and lay it on me bed.' And I did
thot same. Sure, I couldn't have found a nicer place, if I gone the
house over."

Turning from the girl, I hurried up stairs.

It was as I had too good reason to fear. Such a sight as met my
eyes! In the centr