"I thought that man would follow me!" he said bitterly--"that cold-blooded, relentless Mayor!" "What has he done? Do not keep me in this terrible suspense, Chester," said the anxious woman. "I am ordered to appear before him to answer a charge of drunkenness," replied Chester, forcing himself to speak calmly, though the huskiness of his voice betrayed the fierce struggle which the effort cost him. "Drunkenness! you!" and a smile of proud scorn swept over the features of that noble young wife. "Let us go to rest," said Chester, taking her hand. "Let us try and forget this letter!" "We were so happy only half an hour since!" said Jane Chester, placing her hand in that of her husband, and they disappeared in the little bedroom. "But for me, but for me, this had not been!" murmured poor little Mary Fuller, cowering down by the stove and locking both little hands over her forehead. "Oh, if I could help it now. If I had never rung at that cruel man's door. What shall I do--what can I do!" "Come, Mary--come roll up my hair--mother has forgotten it," said Isabel, standing in the closet door where the two girls slept together, and yawning heavily--for the child was weary with coming sleep. "What a splendid night we have had--only I am so tired!" Mary arose meekly, and sitting down on the bed, began to arrange Isabel for the night. The eyes of the little beauty were heavy, and she did not observe the tearful depression that hung over her patient friend. But during all that night, the beautiful eyes of Isabel alone in that humble dwelling, were visited with sleep. It was a weary, weary night for Chester and his wife; but most unhappy of all, was the poor child whom their charity had warmed into life. CHAPTER VIII. CHESTER'S TRIAL. In his dusty web the spider lay-- All bloated and black was he, And he watched his victim pass that way, With a quiver of horrid glee! A few mornings before the little birth-day party described in our last chapter, two men were seen to enter the Mayor's office, accompanied by the Alderman, whom we have seen closeted with him before. The Mayor was alone in his private room, and the Alderman left his two companions in the outer office, while he held a moment's private conversation with his honor. There was a sort of boisterous exultation in the Alderman's manner, which rather displeased the Mayor, who looked upon the exhibition of any feeling as a weakness, but he received his friend with his usual bland smile, and requested him to be seated. The Alderman drew his leather-cushioned seat close to the Mayor, and laid his broad red hand on his honor's knee. "They are here--both the witnesses are here ready to enter a complaint--I told you they were just the men to nail this Chester?"