er, little Willie can't walk as fast and as far as
you can.'

'Et me tan, ma; me walk a long, long way wid pa, and me not tired a
bit,' said Willie, shaking his curly poll, and running off with Julia,
who was his favourite, to get dressed.

'Susan, where's my gold brooch?' inquired Mrs. Ellis of the servant, who
happened to be in the bedroom dusting, when her mistress entered.

'I don't know, I'm sure, ma'am,' replied Susan. 'I saw it on the
pincushion yesterday, before the young ladies went out; I have not seen
it since. Perhaps Miss Mabel may be wearing it.'

'Nonsense, Susan!' said Mrs. Ellis; 'how could you think Miss Mabel
would do such a thing without my leave?'

'Well, ma'am,' answered the steady servant, 'I don't know whether you
gave leave or not, but I know I have often seen the young lady with the
brooch in her necktie.'

Mrs. Ellis felt greatly displeased, not of course with Susan, but with
her daughter; she thought it best, however, to make no further remark at
present, but to wait until Mabel returned for an explanation of the
affair.

It is almost needless to say that the morning's walk had neither been
pleasant nor satisfactory to the two girls, for the treasure they went
out to seek had not been found, and they returned home sick at heart. I
say 'they,' because though poor Julia had not been really to blame, she
sorrowed both on her mamma's and her sister's account; besides which,
she had a dread of her papa's coming to the knowledge of the untoward
event.

'Mabel,' said Mrs. Ellis, as soon as that young lady came in, 'have you
had my brooch on to-day?'

'No, mamma,' was the immediate and the only response to the question,
the words _to-day_ forming a loophole to creep out at, so as to avoid
explanation, though that was the very time to make one. Accordingly
search was again commenced--as we know, without any result.

The midday dinner-hour passed away uncomfortably enough, except for the
little folks, whose appetite did not seem to be in the least impaired
by surrounding circumstances; and strange as it may appear, Mrs. Ellis,
notwithstanding what the servant had told her respecting Mabel's wearing
the brooch, instead of closely questioning that young lady, permitted
her to leave the room with the children, while she herself renewed the
fruitless search. Tired out at last, she sat down in the dining-room, to
await the coming home of her husband in no very pleasurable state of
mind. Of cour