his hat, and walked
away, saying to Susy, in a low voice, as he passed her in the hall,--

"My daughter, while I am so busy, and your mother is gone, I wish you
would pay more attention to your little sister Alice. I am really afraid
she is running wild."

"Yes, sir," replied Susy, with a swift pang of conscience; for she now
recollected that it was seldom she even knew where Dotty was, her mind
being wholly absorbed by play and fancy-work.

At this moment Johnny appeared, fresh from a bath, and dressed in a
clean suit.

"Where is Dotty?" asked Susy, rather surprised by Johnny's tidy array.

"Dot? O, she's in the house somewhere. She came home when I did."

Johnny spoke very carelessly. He was anxious that no one should suppose
anything unusual had occurred.

Susy and Prudy went up stairs in search of their missing sister. They
found her in her own room, sitting down disconsolately in the middle of
the floor.

"Why, Dotty Dimple, where have you been? How _did_ you get so wet?"

No answer.

"Have you been trying to swim?" laughed Prudy, going up and stroking her
forehead.

"Prudy Parlin, why didn't you come up here before?" was the sudden
response. "I called you and called you.--Where'd you put my clo'es?"

"Why, Dotty, dear, I didn't know you were in the house; and I never
touched your clothes."

"Yes, you did. I can't find the key. I'm going to freeze. You don't
care. You never brought me a speck of pudding. I'm sick, and going to
have the sore throat. I wouldn't eat it now if the mayor was right in
this room--so there!"

Nothing could exceed the dreariness of Dotty's tone. Susy, though by no
means unfeeling, could scarcely refrain from laughing at the child's
unreasonableness; but Prudy, who "was exceeding wise" in reading the
heart, knew that Dotty's anger was not very real; that it was partly
assumed to hide her wretchedness. Therefore patient Prudy resolved to
bear with the sharp words, believing Dotty would be pleasant by and by,
when she felt comfortable.

After some delay in hunting, she and Susy dressed the child in fresh
clothes. Then Dotty consented to eat a little dinner, and go into her
grandma Read's room, to sit on the lounge.

"This little girl doesn't look well," said grandma Read, the first
moment; "her cheeks are altogether too red. Where has thee been to-day,
Alice?"

"Been down to the beach, picking shells, grandma," replied Dotty,
looking hard at the carpet.

"O, where are