illing my sister!"

"Not quite so bad as that, I guess," said Jessie, when she reached the
front door, where she saw Emily sitting on the greensward, rubbing the
back of her head. Old Rover was standing on the piazza, uttering a low
growl at Charlie, by way of warning him not to throw any more stones at
his dogship.

"He's an ugly monster, that he is," said the boy, hurling another stone at
Rover, as he moved toward his mistress, and began to rub his nose against
her hands.

"Down, Rover!" said Jessie, patting the dog's head, and thus quieting his
temper, which was somewhat ruffled by the last stone, which Charlie had
sent right against his ribs.

"I _will_ stone him, if I want to," growled Charlie, pouting his lips,
puffing out his cheeks, and stamping his foot, as Guy laid his hand on his
right arm.

"No, no, Charlie, you must not stone old Rover. It is not kind to hurt a
poor, harmless dog, nor is it quite safe, either, for, you see, Rover has
big teeth, and he may bite you if you hurt him," said Guy, still holding
the angry boy.

"I don't care! He hurt my sister. I'll kick you if you don't let me stone
him as much as I like. Let me go, you ugly fellow!" and with these words,
Charlie kicked and struggled with such violence, that Guy could scarcely
hold him.

Meanwhile, Jessie, having sent old Rover to his kennel, was trying to
comfort Emily. The whole difficulty had grown out of her attempt to mount
the dog's back, in defiance of Guy's advice. He told her that Rover did
not like to do service as a pony, and that he would certainly throw her
off if she tried to ride him. But, urged on by Charlie, she had seated
herself on the dog, and had been thrown down just as Jessie had been, a
few days before. She was not much hurt, a slight bruise on the back of her
head being the only damage she had sustained. Jessie would have laughed
over such a trifle. But Emily was not like Jessie. She had been pleasant
thus far, since her coming to Glen Morris. But now, her good-nature being
played out, she began to show the selfish and ugly side of her character.

"Never mind that little hurt, dear Emily," said Jessie, as she passed her
hand lightly over the bruise. "If you will go into the house with me, I'll
get mother to rub a little _arnica_ upon it, and that will make it well
very soon."

"I won't go in; and if your father don't have that ugly dog killed, I'll
go home to-morrow, that I will!"

"What! have Rover killed? O