ht the twinkling lights of the village, and he
hastened his steps, now that, as it may be said, home was in sight. He
felt as if he was famishing, and the thought of the luscious supper
awaiting his return, gave him such speed that he was soon at his own
door.

Though it was late, he saw his aunt was astir, for the lights were
burning brightly. Before he could utter the greeting on his tongue, he
was terrified by the scared face of his relative.

"Why, aunt, what is the matter? Are you ill?"

"Oh, Harvey!" she wailed; "haven't you brought Dollie with you?"

"Dollie!" repeated the other; "I haven't seen her since I left home."

"Then you will never see her again," and, overcome by her terrible
grief, the good woman sank into the nearest chair, covered her face
with her apron and wept.

Harvey Bradley stood petrified. Bright-eyed Dollie, whom he had left a
few hours before, rosy, happy, overflowing with bounding spirits, was
gone, and the sobbing Aunt Maria declared she would never be seen again.

Stepping into the room, Harvey laid his hand on his aunt's shoulder and
in a trembling voice said:

"Why, aunt, what does this mean? Are you in earnest? What has become
of Dollie? Tell me, I beseech you."

"She is lost; she is lost! Oh, why did we ever bring her to this
dreadful country? I wish none of us had ever seen it."

"But what about Dollie? Where is she? How long has she been gone?
Compose yourself and tell."

It was not until he spoke sharply that the hysterical woman was able to
make known that the child had been absent for hours, no one knew where.
When she learned that noon that her big brother would not be back till
night, Dollie had pouted because he had gone off without telling her.
She was not sure she could ever forgive him. However, she ate her
dinner, and soon after went out to play. Some hours later her aunt
went to the door to call her, but she was not within sight or hearing.
Maggie was sent to look for her, but soon came back with word that she
could not be found.

The child had been seen a couple of hours before, running in the
direction of the path that led into the mountains, as if she was
fleeing from some one, Maggie had gone as far as she dared in quest of
her, but her loudest shouts brought no reply and she returned.

The word brought by the servant, as may well be believed, filled the
aunt with the wildest grief. Beyond all doubt, Dollie had formed a
sudden resolve to