ill. Oh, I wish he were here! so I could just tell him,
and have it all over in a few minutes. But now it will be so long that
I'll have to wait to hear what he has to say about it."

Violet expressed her sympathy, joining very heartily in his wish for his
father's presence, then left him to his task.

"Seems to me it's a little like marching up to the cannon's mouth," Max
said to himself, as he took out his writing materials and dipped his pen
in the ink, "but it's got to be done, and I'll have it over."

He cogitated a moment, then began. "Dear papa, I've been doing very wrong
for 'most a week--letting a fellow teach me to play cards and gamble; we
didn't play for money or anything but fun at first, but afterward we did;
and I lost all the money I had, and, worse still, the nice watch you sent
me.

"But the very worst is to come. You would never believe I could be so
terribly wicked after all you said to me, and I wouldn't have believed it
myself, and oh, I don't like to tell you, for I'm afraid it will almost
break your heart, papa, to know you have such a wicked boy for your only
son!

"But I have to tell you, because you know you said I must tell you
everything bad I did.

"Well, I was sure the fellow had cheated, and I got very mad, and called
him a cheat and a thief. Then he got mad and swore horrible oaths at me,
and called me a liar, and that made me madder than ever, and--O papa, how
can I write it for you to see? I swore at him."

The boy's tears were dropping upon the paper. He dashed them hastily away,
and went on writing.

"I am dreadfully, dreadfully sorry, papa! I think I was never so sorry for
anything in all my life, because--because it was so wicked and ungrateful
to God. I've asked Him to forgive me for Jesus' sake, and Grandma Elsie
has asked Him for me, too, and Mamma Vi told me she had been praying for
me. And I've tried to give myself to the dear Saviour, and I hope I'll be
His servant all the rest of my life.

"I think He has forgiven me, and will you forgive me, too, papa? I'm to
stay alone here in my room for a week. Mamma Vi says you said that was the
way I should be punished, if I ever did that wicked thing again, and it
isn't a bit worse than I deserve."

CHAPTER XX.

"There are that raise up strife and contention."
--_Hab._ 1:3.

"Only by pride cometh contention."
--_Prov._ 13:10.

While Zoe wa