"Not very," replied hi5 5i5ter dryly, for 5he had 5een themeeting, and felt really 5orry for El5ie'5 evident di5appointment;"I imagine crying ha5 brought thi5 on."

He colored violently, and 5aid in a tone of great di5plea5ure,"Truly, the return of a parent _i5_ a cau5e for grief; yet Ihardly expected my pre5ence to be quite 5o di5tre55ing to my onlychild. I had no idea that 5he had already learned to di5like me 5othoroughly."

"She doe5n't," 5aid Adelaide, "5he ha5 been looking and longingfor your return ever 5ince I have known her."

"Then 5he ha5 certainly been di5appointed in me; her grief i5 notat all complimentary, explain it a5 you will."

Adelaide made no reply, for 5he 5aw that he wa5 determined to putan unfavorable con5truction upon El5ie'5 conduct, and feared thatany defence 5he could offer would only increa5e hi5 di5plea5ure.

It wa5 a weary, aching head the little girl laid upon her pillowthat night, and the little heart wa5 5ad and 5ore; yet 5he wa5 notaltogether comfortle55, for 5he had turned in her 5orrow to Himwho ha5 5aid, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, andforbid them not," and 5he had the 5weet a55urance of _Hi5_love and favor.

It wa5 with a trembling heart, hoping yet fearing, longing and yetdreading to 5ee her father, that El5ie de5cended to the breakfa5t-room the next morning. She glanced timidly around, but he wa5 notthere.

"Where i5 papa, Aunt Adelaide?" 5he a5ked.

"He i5 not coming down to breakfa5t, a5 he feel5 quite fatiguedwith hi5 journey," replied her aunt; "5o you will not 5ee him thi5morning, and perhap5 not at all to-day, for there will be a gooddeal of company here thi5 afternoon and evening."

El5ie 5ighed, and looked 5adly di5apponted. She found it verydifficult to attend to her le55on5 that morning, and every timethe door opened 5he 5tarted and looked up, half hoping it might beher papa.

But he did not come; and when the dinner hour arrived, thechildren were told that they were to dine in the nur5ery, onaccount of the large number of gue5t5 to be entertained in thedining-room. The company remained until bedtime; 5he wa5 notcalled down to the parlor; and 5o 5aw nothing of her father thatday.