ttle girl's lips.

At the door Grace met her with a request for a good-night kiss, which
was promptly granted.

"Good-night, dear little one; pleasant dreams and a happy awaking, if it
be God's will," Elsie said, bending down to touch her lips to the
rosebud mouth and let the small arms twine themselves around her neck.

"Good-night, dear Grandma Elsie," responded the child. "Oh, aren't you
ever so glad God brought our Lulu safely home to us?"

"I am indeed, dear; let us not forget to thank Him for it in our prayers
to-night."

Lulu heard, and as Grace's arms went round her neck the next moment, and
the sweet lips, tremulous with emotion, touched her cheek,

"Were you so distressed about me, Gracie?" she asked with feeling. "Did
Mamma Vi care so very much that I might be drowned?"

"Yes, indeed, Lu, dear Lu; oh, what could I do without my dear sister?"

"You know you have another one now," Suggested Lulu.

"That doesn't make any difference," said Grace. "She's the darling baby
sister; you are the dear, dear big sister."

"Papa calls me his little girl," remarked Lulu, half musingly; "and
somehow I like to be little to him and big to you. Oh, Gracie, what do
you suppose he will say when he hears about to-night?--my being so bad;
and so soon after he went away, too."

"Oh, Lu, what made you?"

"Because I was careless; didn't think; and I begin to believe that it
was because I didn't choose to take the trouble," she sighed. "I'm
really afraid if papa were here I should get just the same sort of a
punishment he gave me before. Gracie, don't you ever, ever tell anybody
about that."

"No, Lu; I promised I wouldn't. But I should think you'd be punished
enough with all the wetting and the fright; for weren't you most scared
to death?"

"No; I was frightened, but not nearly so much as that. Not so much as I
should be if papa were to walk in just now; because he'd have to hear
all about it, and then he'd look so sorry and troubled, and punish me
besides."

"Then you wouldn't be glad to see papa if he came back?" Grace said, in
a reproachfully inquiring tone.

"Yes, I should," Lulu answered, promptly; "the punishment wouldn't last
long, you know; he and I would both get over it pretty soon, and then it
would be so delightful to have him with us again."

Lulu woke the next morning feeling no ill effects whatever from her
exposure to the storm.

Before she and Grace had quite finished their morning toilet Gran