o blinded by tears that she could scarcely see. But no one seemed
to notice her, and her father did not once turn his eyes that way.

She thought of the morning when she had first met him there, her poor
little heart hungering so for his love; and it seemed as if she had gone
back again to that time; and yet it was worse; for now she had learned
to love him with an intensity of affection she had then never known,
and having tasted the sweetness of his love, her sense of suffering at
its loss was proportionally great; and utterly unable to control her
feelings, she silently left the room to seek some place where she might
give her bursting heart the relief of tears, with none to observe or
reprove her.

Elsie had a rare plant, the gift of a friend, which she had long been
tending with great care, and which had blossomed that morning for the
first time.

The flower was beautiful and very fragrant, and as the little girl
stood gazing upon it with delighted eyes, while awaiting the summons to
breakfast, she had said to Chloe, "Oh! how I should like papa to see it!
He is so fond of flowers, and has been, so anxious for this one to
bloom."

But a deep sigh followed as she thought what a long, long time it was
likely to be before her father would again enter her room, or permit her
to go into his. He had not, however, forbidden her to speak to him, and
the thought struck her that, if he should be able to leave his room
before the flower had faded, so that she could see and speak to him,
she might pluck it off and present it to him.

She thought of it again, while weeping alone in her room, and a faint
hope sprang up in her heart that the little gift might open the way for a
reconciliation. But she must wait and watch for an opportunity to see him
alone; for she could not, in the present state of affairs, think of
addressing him before a third person.

The opportunity came almost sooner than she had dared to hope, for, on
passing the library door just after the morning lessons were over, she
saw him sitting there alone; and trembling between hope and fear, she
hurried at once to her room, plucked the beautiful blossom from its stem,
and with it in her hand hastened to the library.

She moved noiselessly across the thickly carpeted floor, and her papa,
who was reading, did not seem to be aware of her approach, until she was
close at his side. He then raised his head and looked at her with an
expression of surprise on his