"Humph!" said Mr. Elder, half aloud, as soon as she had left. "I do
not care much about hiring my rooms to such tenants. Refugees are
certainly becoming as thick as locusts in the State, and are nearly
all as poor as Job. However, I have made myself secure against any
excuse for pay on the ground of poverty, by the paper she signed," and
with these reflections, that worthy gentleman re-entered his room, and
was soon deeply interested in his newspaper.




CHAPTER TENTH.

THE NEW HOME.


Mrs. Wentworth followed the boy till he arrived in front of series of
wretched looking rooms, situated on one of the miserable lanes with
which Jackson abounds. Stopping in front of one of them, he pointed to
it, and with no other words than "Dem is de room, ma'm," walked off.
Taking the key, which Mr. Elder had previously given her, she opened
the door and entered.

Mrs. Wentworth's heart sank within her as she viewed the wretched
looking apartment. The interior of the room was exceedingly dirty,
while the faded paper, which once gaudily adorned it, now hung in
shreds from the walls. The fireplace was broken up, and disgusting
words were written in every part of the room. It had been, in fact,
the lodging of a woman of dissolute character, who had been accustomed