Willie's entreaties to come away, would amuse himself by "riding
horseback," as he called it, on the railing of the frail bridge, and
tossing up his arms with a shout of defiance and laughter, he lost his
balance and fell into the water, quite deep enough to drown a much
larger boy.

A scream from the little ones brought the nurse to a knowledge of the
truth.

"Eddie's in the water! Eddie's drowned."

In a moment Willie's jacket was off, and he plunged in, and, before
the terrified nurse could collect her thoughts, brought out and placed
the insensible boy on the grass before her.

Catching up the child, she rushed to the house, and, placing him in
his mother's arms, declared, to screen her own negligence, that:

"Willie had pushed his brother in the pond."

Willie, following on with the other children, entered the house, his
young heart proudly glowing with the knowledge of having done a good,
brave action, and saying to himself:

"Now, this will surely please papa and make Eddie's mother love me a
little."

Poor boy! He was met by stern eyes and harsh, upbraiding words, which
for a moment quite bewildered him.

"You have killed your brother! You cruel, unnatural child," cried the
mother.

"Out of my sight, boy," said his father, in low, threatening tones.

"Oh, father! what do you mean? Let me tell you how it was."

"Begone, sir!" and the enraged man gave poor Willie a blow which sent
him reeling into the hall.

Staggering up to his room and throwing himself on the bed, he wailed
forth, in heart-rending tones:

"Oh, mother, mother! I wish I was with you! Others can die, why not I?
No one loves me! Oh, I wish I were dead!"

Tired and exhausted by the exertions in the water, he soon fell
asleep, and remained so until the sun was just rising next morning.

All his sorrow, all the injustice of the night before came rushing
back to his mind.

Hastily dressing himself, and then taking from his desk paper and pen,
he wrote:

You have told me to get out of your sight, father. I shall. You
will never see me again. You need not search for me. I am going
to try and find my mother. When Eddie is better, you will hear
the truth, and feel your injustice to WILLIE.

Folding this, and leaving it on his table, he stole down and made his
way into town, not quite determined what to do. His first thought was
to seek the river, and in its quiet waters end his sorrows. Oh! why
would not death come to h