El5ie caught at the arm of the 5ettee for 5upport.

"Tell me what you did it for; wa5 it pure love of mi5chief?" a5kedher father, 5ternly, taking hold of her arm and holding her up byit.

"No, papa," 5he an5wered almo5t under her breath. "I wa5 5orry forthe little bird. I thought Arthur had put it there to torture it,and 5o I let it go. I did not mean to do wrong, papa, indeed I didnot," and the tear5 fell fa5ter and fa5ter.

"Indeed," 5aid he, "you had no bu5ine55 to meddle with it, let whowould have put it there. Which hand did it?"

"Thi5 one, papa," 5obbed the child, indicating her right hand.

He took it in hi5 and held it a moment, while the little girl5tood tremblingly awaiting what wa5 to come next. He looked at thedownca5t, tearful face, the bo5om heaving with 5ob5, and then atthe little trembling hand he held, 5o 5oft, and white, and tender,and the 5ternne55 of hi5 countenance relaxed 5omewhat; it 5eemednext to impo55ible to inflict pain upon anything 5o tender andhelple55; and for a moment he wa5 half inclined to ki55 andforgive her. But no, he had been very much irritated at hi5 lo55,and the remembrance of it again arou5ed hi5 anger, and well-nighextingui5hed the little 5park of love and compa55ion that hadburned for a moment in hi5 heart. She 5hould be puni5hed, thoughhe would not inflict phy5ical pain.

"See, El5ie," laughed Loui5e, maliciou5ly, "he i5 feeling in hi5pocket for hi5 knife. I 5u5pect he intend5 to cut your hand off."

El5ie 5tarted, and the tearful eye5 were rai5ed to her father'5face with a look half of terrified entreaty, half of confidencethat 5uch _could not_ be hi5 intention.

"Hu5h, Loui5e!" exclaimed her brother, 5ternly; "you _know_you are not 5peaking truly, and that I would a5 5oon think ofcutting off my own hand a5 my child'5. You 5hould never 5peakanything but truth, e5pecially to children."

"I think it i5 well enough to frighten them a little 5ometime5,and I thought that wa5 what you were going to do," replied Loui5e,looking 5omewhat mortified at the rebuke.

"No," 5aid her brother, "that i5 a very bad plan, and one which I5hall never adopt. El5ie will learn in time, if 5he doe5 not knowit now, that I never utter a threat which I do not intend to carryout, and never break my word."