than Nora did. "Don't do it, Nora," she shrieked. "I'd rather come back
to you. I would really, really. You'll be killed--we'll both be killed
if you get upon this rotten bough. Oh, dear! oh, dear! Nora, are you
mad? Are you mad?"

Blind passion had made Nora almost mad. She did not believe Kitty's
words. The bare bough looked safe enough from her position. She
stretched out one cautious hand, then another, and propelled herself
slowly along. Her whole weight was now upon the bough. It was thoroughly
rotten and very brittle. Kitty gave a shriek of terror, and, with a wild
leap, managed to throw her arms over the bough just above. She was not a
minute too soon. The rotten branch cracked and broke with a loud report,
and poor Nora was hurled with great violence to the ground.

CHAPTER VIII.

ALONE IN THE WOOD.

There was a dizzy moment for Kitty when she seemed to hang between
heaven and earth, and everything swam in circles before her dazed eyes.
Then, with a supreme effort, she managed to clutch the bough, to which
she clung with a firmer grasp, and slowly but surely to drag herself up
into safety on its broad, firm stem.

"I'm coming, Nora. I'll be down in a minute," she shouted.

She crept along the bough, and soon, much scratched and covered with
moss and leaves, her dress torn, her face hotly flushed, she reached the
ground and rushed to Nora's side.

Poor Nora had fallen from a height of nearly twenty feet. Her fall had
been slightly broken by the rotten bough which had come to the ground
with her; but, notwithstanding this fact, she lay now on her back, faint
and sick and moaning, as if she were in great pain.

Poor Kitty's repentance was intense.

"Oh, Nora, Nora!" she sobbed, bending over her, "are you hurt badly?
Can't you get up? Oh, dear! oh, dear! you do look ill, and it's my fault
of course. Why did I have a secret? and why did I tease you? Oh, Nora!"
she added, terror in her tone as she noticed the increasing whiteness of
Nora's pretty face, "are you in dreadful, shocking pain?"

"I feel sick," said Nora, "and--and faint. Can't you fetch some water.
Oh, everything seems miles away. What shall I do?"

"I'll go for mother," said Kitty. "Lie very still, Nonie, darling; you
have got an awful shake from that fall, but you'll be all right
soon--I'm sure you will; and, oh, here's some water in one of the picnic
bottles."

Kitty sprang towards this welcome sight, wetted a handkerchief with