me into my head all at once
somehow, and I couldn't go on. No sir! If he'd laid me down and walked
on me, I wouldn't have minded, I felt so mean," and Emil gave himself a
good thump in the chest to express his sense of remorse for the past.

"Nat's crying like anything, and feels no end sorry, so don't let's say
a word about it; will we?" said tender-hearted Tommy.

"Of course we won't, but it's awful to tell lies," and Demi looked as if
he found the awfulness much increased when the punishment fell not upon
the sinner, but his best Uncle Fritz.

"Suppose we all clear out, so Nat can cut upstairs if he wants to,"
proposed Franz, and led the way to the barn, their refuge in troublous
times.

Nat did not come to dinner, but Mrs. Jo took some up to him, and said a
tender word, which did him good, though he could not look at her. By and
by the lads playing outside heard the violin, and said among themselves:
"He's all right now." He was all right, but felt shy about going down,
till opening his door to slip away into the woods, he found Daisy
sitting on the stairs with neither work nor doll, only her little
handkerchief in her hand, as if she had been mourning for her captive
friend.

"I'm going to walk; want to come?" asked Nat, trying to look as if
nothing was the matter, yet feeling very grateful for her silent
sympathy, because he fancied everyone must look upon him as a wretch.

"Oh yes!" and Daisy ran for her hat, proud to be chosen as a companion
by one of the big boys.

The others saw them go, but no one followed, for boys have a great deal
more delicacy than they get credit for, and the lads instinctively felt
that, when in disgrace, gentle little Daisy was their most congenial
friend.

The walk did Nat good, and he came home quieter than usual, but looking
cheerful again, and hung all over with daisy-chains made by his little
playmate while he lay on the grass and told her stories.

No one said a word about the scene of the morning, but its effect was
all the more lasting for that reason, perhaps. Nat tried his very best,
and found much help, not only from the earnest little prayers he prayed
to his Friend in heaven, but also in the patient care of the earthly
friend whose kind hand he never touched without remembering that it had
willingly borne pain for his sake.

CHAPTER V. PATTYPANS

"What's the matter, Daisy?"

"The boys won't let me play with them."

"Why not?"

"They say girls can't p