ng all alone here in the woods."

Kathie sat down, and, pushing back her hair, said to Laura, "It is
all so sad and sorrowful that I wonder you care to hear about it."

"But I do--really I do; only if it makes you unhappy to tell me, perhaps
you had better not."

"It is not much to tell: we have not been long alone. I do not remember
my mother; my father was a wood-cutter, and we were very happy till the
war came, and he had to be a soldier, and leave little Fritz and me all
alone."

"Your father a soldier! so is mine. How nice!" said Laura.

"Ah, but your father is an officer, of course, and can do almost as he
pleases, while my poor father had hardly time to bid us good-bye when he
went away; and I do not know whether he is alive or has been killed in
some dreadful battle."

"Then we'll think he is alive and well, and soon coming home," said
Laura, springing up and dragging Kathie with her for a race. "Come, we
will not talk any more, for your eyes are full of tears, and this is
too lovely a day for us to be unhappy, my poor, poor Kathie. Come! I am
sorry I asked you anything."

The day was indeed lovely, and the soft, sweet air was full of delicious
odors from the many buds and blossoms.

Soon the children forgot their sad talk, and were chasing butterflies,
when again Laura, in her glee, threw down her staff, and could not
recollect the spot where it had fallen.

"Oh, Kathie, my staff! my staff is lost again! where did I put it?" she
exclaimed, when a little mocking voice was heard repeating her words,
and skipping over the rocks was seen the well-remembered rabbit-skin of
the Herb Elf.

Laura was very much provoked at her own carelessness, and annoyed at
again seeing her teasing acquaintance of the woods reappear; but she had
gained a little wisdom from her former encounter, and took care not to
show her vexation.

But Kathie was very much alarmed, and clung close to Laura. The Herb
Elf, seeing this, brandished his bludgeon, and executed a fantastic
series of capers.

"Afraid, are you?--ho! ho! he! he! A great big girl afraid of me!" he
sung.

"I am not afraid, Mr. Elf," said Laura. "You and I have met before, and
what nice honey you gave me! I am sure Kathie would like some, and are
you too busy to help me find my staff?"

"Lost it again, have you? Oh, you're a nice one! I am busy pruning
witch-hazels, and your knife has been very useful."

"So much the more reason why you should find my staff