esently recovered themselves. Betty
stepped outside just behind the gentleman who had preceded them up the
stairs, and Lulu climbed quickly after her, frightened enough at the
perilous undertaking, yet determined to prove that she was equal to it.

But she had advanced only a few steps when a sudden rush of wind caught
her skirts and nearly took her off her feet.

Both she and Betty uttered a cry of affright, and at the same instant
Lulu felt herself seized from behind and dragged forcibly back and
within the window from which she had just emerged.

It was the face of a stranger that met her gaze as she looked up with
frightened eyes.

"Child," he said, "that was a narrow escape; don't try it again. Where
are your parents or guardians, that you were permitted to step out there
with no one to take care of you?"

Lulu blushed and hung her head in silence. Betty, who had followed her
in as fast as she could, generously took all the blame upon herself.

"Don't scold her, sir," she said; "it was all my doing. I brought her
here without the knowledge of her parents, and dared her to go out
there."

"You did?" he exclaimed, turning a severe look upon the young girl (he
was a middle-aged man of stern aspect). "Suppose I had not been near
enough to catch her, and she had been precipitated to the ground from
that great height--how would you have felt?"

"I could never have forgiven myself or had another happy moment while I
lived," Betty said, in half tremulous tones, "I can never thank you
enough, sir, for saving her," she added, warmly.

"No, nor I," said the keeper. "I should always have felt that I was to
blame for letting her go out; but you were close behind, sir, and the
other gentleman before, and I took you to be all one party, and of
course thought you would take care of the little girl."

"She has had quite a severe shock," the gentleman remarked, again
looking at Lulu, who was very pale and trembling like a leaf. "You had
better wait and let me help you down the stairs. I shall be ready in a
very few moments."

Betty thanked him and said they would wait.

While they did so she tried to jest and laugh with Lulu; but the little
girl was in no mood for such things; she felt sick and dizzy at the
thought of the danger she had escaped but a moment ago. She made no
reply to Betty's remarks, and indeed seemed scarcely to hear them.

She was quite silent, too, while being helped down the stairs by the
kind str