after dinner, and left her with Sandy Liston, who was
in the middle of a yarn, when some one came running in and told her
Flucker was at the pier crying for her. She inquired what was the
matter. "Come, an' ye'll see," was all the answer. She ran down to the
pier. There was poor Flucker lying on his back; he had slipped from the
pier into a boat that lay alongside; the fall was considerable; for a
minute he had been insensible, then he had been dreadfully sick, and now
he was beginning to feel his hurt; he was in great anguish; nobody knew
the extent of his injuries; he would let nobody touch him; all his cry
was for his sister. At last she came; they all made way for her; he was
crying for her as she came up.

"My bairn! my bairn!" cried she, and the poor little fellow smiled, and
tried to raise himself toward her.

She lifted him gently in her arms--she was powerful, and affection made
her stronger; she carried him in her arms all the way home, and laid him
on her own bed. Willy Liston, her discarded suitor, ran for the surgeon.
There were no bones broken, but his ankle was severely sprained, and he
had a terrible bruise on the loins; his dark, ruddy face was streaked
and pale; but he never complained after he found himself at home.

Christie hovered round him, a ministering angel, applying to him with a
light and loving hand whatever could ease his pain; and he watched her
with an expression she had never noticed in his eye before.

At last, after two hours' silence, he made her sit in full view,
and then he spoke to her; and what think you was the subject of his
discourse?

He turned to and told her, one after another, without preface, all the
loving things she had done to him ever since he was five years old. Poor
boy, he had never shown much gratitude, but he had forgotten nothing,
literally nothing.

Christie was quite overcome with this unexpected trait; she drew him
gently to her bosom, and wept over him; and it was sweet to see a
brother and sister treat each other almost like lovers, as these two
began to do--they watched each other's eye so tenderly.

This new care kept the sister in her own house all the next day; but
toward the evening Jean, who knew her other anxiety, slipped in and
offered to take her place for an hour by Flucker's side; at the same
time she looked one of those signals which are too subtle for any but
woman to understand.

Christie drew her aside, and learned that Gatty and his