ested
in that poor woman to-day."

"She had an interesting face," said her brother, dryly.

"Was it like anybody that you ever saw?" said Miss Emily.

Her brother did not seem to hear her, but, taking the tongs, picked up
the two ends of a stick that had just fallen apart, and arranged them so
as to make a new blaze.

Miss Emily was obliged to repeat her question, whereat he started as one
awakened out of a dream, and said,--

"Why, yes, he didn't know but she did; there were a good many women with
black eyes and black hair,--Mrs. Kittridge, for instance."

"Why, I don't think that she looked like Mrs. Kittridge in the least,"
said Miss Emily, warmly.

"Oh, well! I didn't say she did," said her brother, looking drowsily at
his watch; "why, Emily, it's getting rather late."

"What made you look so when I showed you that bracelet?" said Miss
Emily, determined now to push the war to the heart of the enemy's
country.

"Look how?" said her brother, leisurely moistening a bit of toast in his
cider.

"Why, I never saw anybody look more wild and astonished than you did for
a minute or two."

"I did, did I?" said her brother, in the same indifferent tone. "My dear
child, what an active imagination you have. Did you ever look through a
prism, Emily?"

"Why, no, Theophilus; what do you mean?"

"Well, if you should, you would see everybody and everything with a nice
little bordering of rainbow around them; now the rainbow isn't on the
things, but in the prism."

"Well, what's that to the purpose?" said Miss Emily, rather bewildered.

"Why, just this: you women are so nervous and excitable, that you are
very apt to see your friends and the world in general with some coloring
just as unreal. I am sorry for you, childie, but really I can't help you
to get up a romance out of this bracelet. Well, good-night, Emily; take
good care of yourself and go to bed;" and Mr. Sewell went to his room,
leaving poor Miss Emily almost persuaded out of the sight of her own
eyes.

CHAPTER XI

LITTLE ADVENTURERS

The little boy who had been added to the family of Zephaniah Pennel and
his wife soon became a source of grave solicitude to that mild and
long-suffering woman. For, as the reader may have seen, he was a
resolute, self-willed little elf, and whatever his former life may have
been, it was quite evident that these traits had been developed without
any restraint.

Mrs. Pennel, whose whole domestic experience had