intends to
send her away? I sincerely hope so, for Vi's sake. Poor little Elsie may
be killed outright the next time Lulu has an opportunity to vent her
spite upon her."

"O Rosie! how can you talk so?" exclaimed Zoe. "haven't you heard that
Lulu says she thought it was your dog she was kicking at? and that she
has been really sick with distress about the baby? As to sending her
away to be trained and taught by strangers--her father has no idea of
doing it: in fact,--so Vi told Ned,--the conviction that Lulu needed his
constant oversight and control had a great deal to do in leading him to
resign from the service and come home to live."

"Then, he's a very good father,--a great deal better one than she
deserves. But I'm sorry for Vi and her baby."

"You needn't be: surely the captain should be able to protect them from
Lulu," laughed Zoe.

Rosie laughed too, remarked that it must be getting late; and they went
into the house.

* * * * *

"I do wish papa would come for me. I can't bear to go down alone to
breakfast," Lulu was saying to herself the next morning, when a light
step in the hall without caught her ear: then there was a tap at the
door; and, opening it, she found the lady of the house standing on the
threshold.

"Good-morning, my child," she said in pleasant, cheery tones, and
smiling sweetly as she spoke; then, bending clown, she gave the little
girl a kiss.

"Good-morning, grandma Elsie," murmured Lulu, blushing deeply, and
casting down her eyes: "you are very kind to come to see me, and to
kiss me too, when I have been so bad. Please take a chair," she added,
drawing one forward.

"Thank you, dear; but I would rather sit on the sofa yonder, with you by
my side," Elsie said, taking Lulu's hand, and leading her to it, then,
when they had seated themselves, putting the other arm about the child's
waist, and drawing her close to her side. "I feel that I have been
neglecting you," she went on; "but my thoughts have been much taken up
with other things, and"--

"O grandma Elsie!" cried Lulu, bursting into tears. "I didn't deserve
that you should show me the least kindness, or think of me at all except
as a very bad, disagreeable girl. I should think you'd want to turn me
out of your house, and say I should never come into it again."

"No, dear child, I have no such feeling toward you: if I had, should I
not be very much like that wicked servant to whom his lord had fo