ere
returning home with a fresh trouble to the invalid lady.

Dora's beautiful book, which had been presented to her by her papa as a
reward for her kind and dutiful attention to him, when he was suffering
severely for some days from nervous headache, had of course not been
thought of; the brooch, the unfortunate brooch, engrossed every faculty;
yet with all the search, and research, it was not found, and the young
people took a dolorous leave of each other, and repaired to their
respective homes.

'Now don't you say a word about the brooch to mamma to-night,' said
Mabel to her sister; 'I dare say it will be found, and it is no use
teasing her about it, now she is poorly.

'Mamma is sure to miss the brooch off the dressing-table in the
morning,' replied Julia; 'and if I am spoken to about it, I am not
going to tell a story, Mabel.'

'Who wants you to tell a story?' exclaimed Mabel, sharply. 'I know you
are always very ready to tell tales, when it would be much better for
you to hold your tongue.'

'You always go on in that way when you are vexed about anything,'
replied Julia. 'I'm sure I wish we had not gone for a walk; we have had
no pleasure, all because you would try to make yourself look smart. You
know, I begged of you not to put on the brooch, but, as papa says, you
are so wilful!'

'You have no right to repeat what papa says. Better look at your own
faults than talk about mine,' cried the angry girl, as she opened the
garden-gate that led to the back door of their residence.

Freddy was looking out of the window, but Mabel took no notice of him,
but ran straight upstairs to her own bedroom, to take off her things and
examine minutely her dress, if happily the missing brooch might have
slipped down into her bosom.

Julia, however, went to inquire how her mamma was, and therefore was the
first to hear the dismal tidings that papa had come home on purpose to
take his daughters to a place of entertainment, but finding they were
not at home, had gone out again very angry, without eating any dinner.
This, though it put the finishing stroke to that day's disaster, poor
Julia knew would not be an end to the troubles they would have to
encounter; for though indeed she was innocent of blame with regard to
the brooch, she felt she had acted selfishly in leaving her mamma with
the children, when she saw how tired and poorly Mrs. Ellis appeared to
be.

'I am very sorry, dear mamma,' said Julia, 'that you have bee