where to hunt."

His lip quivered, and there was something very like tears in his eyes,
although he blinked very hard to hide them.

"I will search for the ball, and keep it for you to-morrow morning,"
Aunt Charlotte said; "it may have dropped to the floor, and rolled away
into some shadowy corner, or behind the draperies. It is almost twilight
now, but the lamplight to-night or the bright daylight to-morrow will
help me to find it for you."

Thus comforted, Reginald left the cottage, but although he ran nearly
all the way home, he saw neither of his schoolmates. He had hunted so
long for the coveted ball that they had reached their homes before he
was even in sight.

"We can't wait for him," Katie had said, as she looked down the road to
see if he were coming, and then they had become so interested in talking
of their dialogue that they forgot all about him.

Usually Reginald called for his cousin Katie, but the next morning he
was so eager to learn if his ball had been found, that he started early,
intending to be the first at school, and hurried past Katie's house lest
she might call to him to wait. He had almost reached the cottage when
he remembered that he had left both his spelling-book and reader at
home.

It was really provoking, and for just a moment he paused, wondering if
he might borrow books, or if indeed he ought to return for his own.

It was only a few days before that Aunt Charlotte had spoken of
promptness at school, and at the same time said that only a careless
pupil would be obliged to borrow.

He would not be the first to be thought careless; he would run back to
the house, but he must hurry, or be late.

There was a field that he could cross, and thus save a little time, he
thought, but when half-way across it he found that he was losing,
instead of gaining time. The uneven ground and coarse grass were much
harder to run over than the fine, hard surface of the avenue, and in
his haste he stumbled along over sticks and rough places, reaching the
house flushed and tired.

He found his books just where he had left them and hurried past the
maid, who was surprised to see him.

"Why, Master Reginald, I thought I see yer go out to school some time
ago," she said.

"I had to come back after my books," he replied, looking over his
shoulder as he ran down the walk.

"I won't go across that little old field," he said in disgust. "It must
have taken twice as long to go that way."

So he r