habiliments usually donned by burglars; instead, there appeared a
blue calico much drenched and ornamented with wet weeds, an apron wholly
unrecognizable as to color or design, and a drabbled hat hanging to the
intruder's neck. As this queer apparition landed on the floor, Mrs.
Bering stepped around the corner, whereupon the bold burglar jumped and
screamed faintly, and the lady laughed, though she said with grave
inquiry:

"Why Kathleen! What does this mean?"

"Oh, mama!" gasped the burglar, with a despairing glance at her dripping
self. "I didn't want you to see me."

"Nor any one else, from the way you came in I should think. What is the
matter?"

Kat grasped her wet hat, and looked desperately sorry and resigned all
at once.

"Why, I went out in the boat," she said, twisting the wet ribbons around
her fingers and dropping her eyes to the floor, with a little flush of
shame, "and it upset, and I had to wade in, but I couldn't get it, and
it's sailing upside down, way out in the pond. I don't know whatever
you'd better do to me, I'm sure."

"Disobeyed papa. O Kathleen!"

"Well I didn't mean--," there Kat stopped, and swallowed several times
very hastily; she would rather have been shaken, than to have heard that
grieved tone. "I was only going to ride a little ways, but the wind blew
me out; I know it was wrong, though, cause pap said, not to touch it."

"Go to your room and get off your wet clothes as quickly as possible,
and after supper I will come and talk to you about it," said Mrs.
Dering, turning away to hide the smile, that poor, dripping, shame-faced
Kat could not but provoke.

The announcement that "Water-Rat" was face down out in the pond, caused
dire dismay at the supper-table, so that when the meal was finished, and
Mrs. Dering went up to talk to repentant Kat, the rest of the family all
hurried down to the pond to view the disaster. There was the gayly
painted boat, floating idly back and forth with the wind, out in the
pond, and the girls expressed their great dismay in a dismal chorus of
"Oh's," long prolonged, as it floated farther away. "Never mind," said
papa Dering, briskly. "We'll get her all safe again, a little bath won't
hurt her. Here Kittie, you're the best runner, go to the house and bring
me the largest hammer and longest nails in the tool-chest. Be quick
now." Kittie was off like a flash, and when she came back, there were
three or four logs lying ready for use, with some plank