ast."

"Sir?"

"Nothing, my boy, but that I shall follow your advice in the selection
of a book," said the gentleman, as he entered the shop. The lady and the
little girl remained in the carriage, and Ishmael stood feasting his
hungry eyes upon the books in the window.

Presently the volume he admired so much disappeared.

"There! I shall never see it any more!" said Ishmael, with a sigh; "but
I'm glad some boy is going to get it! Oh, won't he be happy to-night,
though! Wish it was I! No, I don't neither; it's a sin to covet!"

And a few minutes after the gentleman emerged from the shop with an
oblong packet in his hand.

"It was the last copy he had left, my boy, and I have secured it! Now do
you really think my young friend will like it?" asked Mr. Middleton.

"Oh, sir, won't he though, neither!" exclaimed Ishmael, in sincere
hearty sympathy with the prospective happiness of another.

"Well, then, my little friend must take it," said Mr. Middleton,
offering the packet to Ishmael.

"Sir!" exclaimed the latter.

"It is for you, my boy."

"Oh, sir, I couldn't take it, indeed! It is only another way of paying
me for a common civility," said Ishmael, shrinking from the gift, yet
longing for the book.

"It is not; it is a testimonial of my regard for you, my boy! Receive it
as such."

"I do not deserve such a testimonial, and cannot receive it, sir,"
persisted Ishmael.

"There, uncle, I told you so!" exclaimed Claudia, springing from the
carriage and taking the book from the hand of Mr. Middleton.

She went to the side of Ishmael, put her arm around his neck, drew his
head down against hers, leaned her bright cheek against his, and said:

"Come, now, take the book; I know you want it; take it like a good boy;
take it for my sake,"

Still Ishmael hesitated a little.

Then she raised the parcel and pressed it to her lips and handed it to
him again, saying:

"There, now, you see I've kissed it. Fido would take anything I kissed;
won't you?"

Ishmael now held out his hands eagerly for the prize, took it and
pressed it to his jacket, exclaiming awkwardly but earnestly:

"Thank you, miss! Oh, thank you a thousand, thousand times, miss! You
don't know how much I wanted this book, and how glad I am!"

"Oh, yes, I do. I'm a witch, and know people's secret thoughts. But why
didn't you take the book when uncle offered it?"

"If you are a witch, miss, you can tell."

"So I can; it was because you don't l