d piece of molasses
cake. Your father was busy skinning the bear, and we gave but little
thought to you children. But when I called your name, and found
neither of you at the mill, I became alarmed. But where can Esther be
now?" concluded Mrs. Carew, looking anxiously about the clearing.

"Go back to the house with Faith and give the child something to eat.
Colonel Allen and I will search the mill again," said Mr. Carew.

"I'm tired," said Faith, as they reached the house, "and I don't like
Esther."

"Hush, Faithie. She is your guest. And if she has wandered into any
harm or danger I do not know what we can say to Mr. Eldridge,"
responded her mother; "but I do not understand about the food," she
added, half to herself, wondering if Esther could really have eaten it
all.

Faith looked about the kitchen. "It looks just the same. Just as if
the bear had not come in," she said.

Mrs. Carew brought her a bowl of milk and a plate of corn bread, and
another plate with two of the pumpkin cakes.

"I'll run back to the mill while you eat your supper, Faithie, and see
if Esther has been found. When I come back you must tell me what you
were turning syrup into the kettle for."

Faith was hungry, but as she ate her bread and milk she felt very
unhappy. She remembered her promise to Esther not to tell Mrs. Carew
about the syrup.

"I don't know what I shall do," she said aloud. "I guess I'll go and
rest on the settle until mother dear comes," so she opened the door
and entered the sitting-room. As she lay back among the cushions of
the settle she heard a faint noise from the further side of the room.
"I guess it's 'Bounce,'" she thought.

Then the noise came again: "Gr-r-r! Gr-rrr!" Faith sat up quickly. She
wondered if another bear had made its way into the house. The big
black bearskin rug in front of the table was moving; it was standing
up, and coming toward the settle.

"It's you, Esther Eldridge! You can't frighten me," said Faith, and
Esther dropped the rug from her shoulders and came running toward the
settle. Her black eyes were dancing, and she was laughing.

"Oh! I've had the greatest fun! I ate all your dinner, and I hid under
that bearskin and your mother and father hunted everywhere for me.
Where have you been?" concluded Esther, looking down at Faith. The
little girls did not notice that, just as Esther began speaking, Mrs.
Carew had opened the sitting-room door.

"I've been way off in the woods, and my