oment, then went on: "If tomorrow you do as you are ordered
you will be at once restored to favor, and all the privileges you
formerly enjoyed in this house; otherwise you will not return from
Oakdale with the others in the afternoon."

He waved his hand in dismissal, and she left the room full of anger and
defiance, a most unhappy child.

In the hall she halted for a moment and glanced toward the outer door. A
sudden impulse moved her to run away. But what good would that do? Where
could she go? How find shelter, food, clothing? And should she ever see
father, brother, sisters again?

She moved on again down the hall, and slowly climbed the broad stairway
leading to the one above.

Violet met her there and felt her heart sink as she glanced at the
sullen, angry countenance. She stopped, laid her hand kindly on the
child's shoulder, and said,

"Lulu, dear, I know pretty well what you have just been told by grandpa,
and, my child, it distresses me exceedingly to think of you being sent
away from us all."

"You needn't care, Mamma Vi; _I_ don't," interrupted Lulu, angrily. "I'd
rather be away from people that ill-treat me so; I only wish I could go
thousands of miles from you all, and never, _never_ come back."

"Poor, dear, unhappy child!" Violet said, tears trembling in her
beautiful eyes; "I know you cannot be other than miserable while
indulging in such wrong feelings. If I have ill-treated you in any way I
have not been conscious of it, and am truly sorry, for it is my strong
desire to be all that I should to my husband's dear children. Come into
my dressing-room and let us have a little talk together about these
matters."

She drew Lulu into the room as she spoke, and made her sit down on a sofa
by her side.

"No, Mamma Vi, you have never ill-treated me," answered Lulu, her sense
of justice asserting itself; "but I think Grandpa Dinsmore has, and so
I'd rather go away from him."

"I am sorry you feel so little gratitude to one who has done so much
for you, Lulu," Violet said, not unkindly. "Surely you cannot deny
that it has been a very great kindness in him to take you into his own
family--giving you the best of homes--and instruct you himself, for no
reward but the pleasure of doing you good and seeing your improvement:
that, too, in spite of having to bear with much ill-behavior from you."

Lulu tried hard to think herself unjustly accused, but in her heart knew
very well that every word of Violet's