ink. How different she is from Joan! One
would hardly take them for sisters."

Fred was too downhearted to answer. He had felt all day terribly
hopeless.

Suddenly he started forward. "I say!--wait a moment!" he called.

A slight turn had brought them in full view of the small boat floating
close under the bank, roped loosely to the shore, and of Mittie standing
above, poised as for a spring. She was light and active, and fond of
jumping. At the moment of Fred's shout she was in the very act. No
boatman was within sight.

Perhaps the abrupt call startled her; perhaps in any case she would have
miscalculated her distance. She was very self-confident, and had had
little to do with boating.

[Sidenote: An Upset]

One way or another, instead of alighting neatly in the boat, as she
meant to do, she came with both feet upon the gunwale and capsized the
craft.

There was a loud terrified shriek, a great splash, and Mittie had
disappeared.

"Fred! Fred!" screamed Mary.

Fred cleared the space in a few leaps, and was down the bank by the time
that Mittie rose, some yards off, floating down the stream, with hands
flung wildly out. Another leap carried him into the water.

He had thrown off his coat as he rushed to the rescue; and soon he had
her in his grip, holding her off as she frantically clutched at him, and
paddling back with one hand.

He was obliged to land lower down, and Mary was there before him.
Between them they pulled Mittie out, a wet, frightened, miserable
object, her breath in helpless gasps and sobs, and one cheek bleeding
freely from striking the rowlock.

"Oh, Mittie! why did you do it?" Mary asked in distress--a rather
inopportune question in the circumstances. "We must get her home at
once, Fred, and put her to bed."

They had almost to carry her up the bank, for all the starch and
confidence were gone out of her; and she was supremely ashamed, besides
being overwhelmed with the fright and the shock.

On reaching the house Fred went off to change his own soaking garments,
and Mittie was promptly put to bed, with a hot bottle at her feet and a
hot drink to counteract the effects of the chill.

She submitted with unwonted meekness; but her one cry was for her
sister.

"I want Joan! Oh, do fetch Joan!" she entreated. "My face hurts so
awfully; and I feel so bad all over. I know I'm going to die! Oh, please
send for Joan!"

"I don't think there is the smallest probability of that, my dear