nt, without thought of consequences, the child darted to the
nursery door and down the broad oak staircase.

"Poor pussy, I will run and fetch her in. I expect she has run away
from the kitchen."

Sir Edward was writing at his study table, when an unusually violent
gust of wind caused him to raise his eyes and glance out of the window.
There, to his amazement, he saw, under the old oak tree on the lawn, his
little niece, her golden brown curls flying as she battled with the
elements, and struggled vainly to stoop and take the kitten in her arms.

He started up from his seat, but as he did so a blast that shook the
house swept by; there was an awful cracking, then a crash, and, to his
horror, a huge limb of the old oak came with an awful thud upon the very
spot where his little niece was standing.

"My God, save her!" was his agonized cry, as he saw at the same moment
the little figure stagger and fall. Then, forgetting his weakness and
lack of physical strength, he dashed out of the house, and in another
instant was standing over her.

His first feeling was one of intense thankfulness to find that the
branch in falling could have only slightly grazed her, as she was lying
on the ground untouched by it; but as he raised the motionless figure,
and noted a red mark on her forehead which was swelling rapidly, his
heart sank within him. It did not take him long to carry her into her
house, and he was met at the door by nurse, who wisely wasted no time in
useless lamentation, but set to work at once to restore animation to her
little charge. Her efforts were successful. Milly was only slightly
stunned, but it had been a miraculous escape, and had the blow been an
inch nearer her temple it might have been fatal. As it was, the child
was more frightened than hurt, and when a little time after her uncle
took her in his arms with unwonted tenderness, she clung to him and
burst into passionate sobs.

"Take care of me, uncle! That nasty old Goliath! He tried to kill me, he
did! I saw him coming on the top of me. God only just saved me in time,
didn't He?"

When the bruise had been bathed and dressed by nurse, Sir Edward still
kept her on his knee, and after nurse had left the room, and the child
rested her little head on his shoulder in a very subdued frame of mind,
he did, what he had never done yet--stooped over her and kissed her,
saying:

"You have been very near death this afternoon, little one, and I could
ill have