d protests, he spoke to her of the responsibility
of an older sister for a younger one and explained the far-reaching
consequences of temper and disobedience.

"You have frightened Rosemary and you have disappointed me," he said
sadly. "We both thought that head-strong and willful and reckless as
you are, you would always take care of Shirley. How can we ever trust
her to you again?"

"I didn't think she would get hurt," wept Sarah. "I do take care of
her."

"My dear little sister--" Doctor Hugh took her in his arms and the
stolid Sarah clung to him crying as though her heart would break. "My
dear, dear little sister, it is because I want you to always think
first, before you do something wrong, that I am talking to you like
this. Shirley admires you--when you do the right thing, she will try
to imitate you even more readily than when you do wrong. You are
constantly setting her an example."

He let her cry a little while and then supplied her with his clean
pocket handkerchief. With her flushed face pressed against his coat,
Sarah listened while he explained gently the old, old lessons and laws
that govern us all.

"Remember this, Sarah," he concluded earnestly, "you may think, when
you do wrong, that you will take all the punishment yourself, but you
can not; no one can bear the consequences of a misdeed wholly alone.
Every time you do wrong you hurt someone else, two or three others,
perhaps, and usually those who love you most."

Sarah was only nine years old, but she understood. Doctor Hugh had a
faculty for making people understand him. He slipped his hand under
Sarah's chin now and lifted the little brown face till the shamed dark
eyes met his.

"Am I to trust you again, Sarah?" he asked gravely.

The little brown face grew vivid, resolution and love contending for
possession of the dark eyes.

"I will be _just_ as good!" promised Sarah. "Truly I will, Hugh."

And they sealed the compact with a kiss.

CHAPTER XXVII

SUMMER'S END

"Keep away from that coffee pot!" said Warren for the sixth time in as
many minutes.

Rosemary laughed and pulled Shirley back from the fire.

After twice fixing a day for the picnic, only to have Doctor Hugh
summoned by telephone and obliged to remain away till early evening,
the suggestion of a picnic supper had been suggested and accepted.

"A good idea, I call it," Winnie had approved. "We won't have to start
till around four o'clock and by that