for their eyes were
closed, and they were "drowned in the depths of the sea."

Dotty tried to shut out these horrid pictures. If her dear mamma were
only here to talk to her, and lay a cool hand on her head--that mamma
she had just disobeyed! Then Dotty repeated some verses she had learned
long ago:--

"At night my mamma comes up stairs,--
She comes to hear me say my prayers;
And while I'm kneeling on her knee,
She always kisses little me."

When it came to the last line the poor child buried her face in the
pillow. Papa was good, and grandma was good; but there was no one like
anybody's own mamma, after all.

"'She always kisses little me,'" murmured Dotty. "'She _always_ kisses
little me.' She gives me twenty kisses when I go to bed, 'cept when I'm
naughty, and then I don't have but ten."

Dotty counted the number of knobs on the bureau drawers, and then went
on:--

"I think if I was in my mamma's place, and had _me_ to take care of, I'd
throw me out of the window; I wouldn't keep such a girl!"

Dotty had great satisfaction in scolding herself when she was all alone.
It was a way she had of "doing her own punishing."

Presently, while engaged in the soothing business of calling herself
names, she dropped off to sleep. She dreamed of red wherries and "white
waves;" but never once dreamed that her mother had come, and was
bending over the bed, actually "kissing little me."

"Poor thing," said Mrs. Parlin to herself, "if she doesn't have a
settled fever I shall be thankful. Will the time ever come when my
little daughter will learn to obey her mother?"

Mrs. Parlin stole out of the room very softly; but a sly little rogue,
observing that she left the creaking door a little ajar, watched an
opportunity, and stole in on her "tipsy toes." It was "wee Katie." Mrs.
Parlin had brought her home, to keep her out of the way of Mrs.
Clifford, who was still quite ill.

The first thing which roused Dotty to consciousness was a feeling of
suffocation. O, was she in the bay? Was she drowning? Something lay very
close over her mouth; but it was not water: in fact it was a pillow;
and on the pillow sat little Katie with her whole weight. But being a
very restless child, it is not likely she would have remained in that
position long enough to strangle her cousin, even if Dotty had not
thrown up her arms and released herself suddenly.

"Why, Katie Clifford, is that you?"

"Yes, this is me!" replied Katie,