secret.'

'I think we must share it with Jack,' said Mr. Trehane. 'It will make
him more careful in future when we trust him with our luncheon-basket.'

He had noticed his son's scornful look when the settlement of the bill
was mentioned, and had partly guessed what was in his mind.

'I wanted it to be a surprise,' Mrs. Trehane said; 'but now you have
revealed half the secret, perhaps it is as well to confess the whole.'

'Well, Jack,' his father said, 'you know you have been bothering me for
a new watch, but I told you I could not manage such a piece of
extravagance now, and you would have to wait another year.'

'My old one is no more use than a turnip,' Jack broke in.

'All the more pity that part of the new one went over the cliff with the
lunch,' remarked his father.

'What do you mean?' asked Jack in bewilderment.

Mr. Trehane looked at his wife.

'It was your plan; you had better explain it,' he said.

'You see, Jack,' she began, 'it seemed rather hard you should not have a
new watch when you wanted one so badly, so I told Father I was quite
sure I could save money in many little ways without robbing us of any
real comforts. One of my plans was to take a luncheon-basket when we had
picnics or expeditions, and to have a first-rate meal of delicious
home-made dainties instead of a second-rate lunch for which we should
have to pay more. Now, Jack, do you approve of my little scheme?'

Jack was almost speechless with shame and confusion, and the twinkle in
Walter's eye made him even hotter.

'I think you are awfully good,' he stammered, 'but I don't deserve that
watch, and I shan't have it now I was such a silly donkey as to throw
the basket over the cliff.'

'Oh, yes, you will, Jack,' said his step-mother, though she did look a
little astonished at the confession that it was a deliberate act instead
of an accident. 'There will be plenty of money saved by the end of the
holidays, if you will be careful not to lose any more baskets.'

Jack never forgot this lesson, and the beautiful new watch he carried
back to school with him was a constant reminder that hasty judgments too
often prove unjust.

[Illustration: "The precious picnic-basket rolling down the turf!"]

[Illustration: "'Father, is that my present?'"]

A GENTLE DONKEY.

I.

[Illustration]

'Do sit down, Master Harry, and allow me to put your shoes on!'

'Well, try like this, Mary. I will pretend to be a stork, and stand on
o