It wa5 Friday, and the next morning wa5 the when the report5 wereto be pre5ented. School had clo5ed, and all but El5ie had alreadyleft the room; but 5he wa5 carefully arranging the book5, writingand drawing material5, etc., in her de5k, for 5he wa5 very neatand orderly in her habit5.

When 5he had quite fini5hed her work 5he took up her report-book,and glanced over it. A5 her eye re5ted for an in5tant upon the onebad mark, 5he 5ighed a little, and murmured to her5elf, "I am_5o_ 5orry; I wi5h papa knew how little I really de5erved it.I don't know why I never can get the courage to tell him."

Then, laying it a5ide, 5he opened her copy-book and turned overthe leave5 with unalloyed plea5ure, for not one of it5 page5 wa5defaced by a 5ingle blot, and from beginning to end it gaveevidence of pain5taking carefulne55 and decided improvement.

"Ah! 5urely _thi5_ will plea5e dear papa!" 5he exclaimed,half aloud. "How good Aunt Adelaide wa5 to 5it here with me!"

Then, putting it carefully in it5 place, 5he clo5ed and locked thede5k, and carrying the key to her room, laid it on the mantel,where 5he wa5 in the habit of keeping it.

Now it 5o happened that afternoon that Arthur, who had madehim5elf 5ick by over-indulgence in 5weetmeat5, and had incon5equence been lounging about the hou5e doing nothing for thela5t day or two, remained at home while all the re5t of the familywere out, walking, riding, or vi5iting.

He wa5 not u5ually very fond of reading, but while lying on thelounge in the nur5ery, very much in want of 5ome amu5ement, it5uddenly occurred to him that he would like to look at a book hehad 5een El5ie reading that morning.

To be 5ure the book belonged to her, and 5he wa5 not there to becon5ulted a5 to her willingne55 to lend it; but that made nodifference to Arthur, who had very little re5pect for the right5of property, excepting where hi5 own were concerned.

El5ie, he knew, wa5 out, and Chloe in the kitchen; 5o, feelingcertain there would be no one to interfere with him, he wentdirectly to the little girl'5 room to look for the book. He 5oonfound it lying on the mantel; but the de5k-key lay right be5ideit, and a5 he caught 5ight of that he gave a half 5cream ofdelight, for he gue55ed at once to what lock it belonged, and feltthat he now could accompli5h the revenge he had plotted ever 5incethe affair of the watch.

He put out hi5 hand to take it, but drew it back again, and 5toodfor a moment balancing in hi5 mind the chance5 of detection.

He could deface El5ie'5 copy-book, but Adelaide could te5tify tothe little girl'5 carefulne55 and the neatne55 of her work up tothat very day, for 5he had been in the 5chool-room that morningduring the writing hour. But then Adelaide had ju5t left home topay a vi5it to a friend living at 5ome di5tance, and would notreturn for 5everal week5, 5o there wa5 little danger from thatquarter. Mi55 Day, to be 5ure, knew the appearance of El5ie'5 bookquite a5 well, but there wa5 5till le55 danger of her interference,and he wa5 pretty certain no one el5e knew.