AN UNEXPECTED RE VELA TION. 21

appear. As soon as she heard the gate swing to, she
threw herself into her brother's arms. But instead of
the usual gay little Polly, Jack found that he had a
pale, weeping, little girl clinging to him.
 "0 Jacko, Jacko! father says you're to go to
school; he's been writing letters to a lot of schools
this very day."
 The boy's face flushed deeply.
 "To school, Polly, to a boarding school ?" he
gasped.
 Yes," sobbed Polly.
 "Well," said Jack in a hard voice, "I'd just as
soon go, it's no use ever trying to be good; father
is always angry at everything I do."
 "You'd just as soon go! and leave me,-O Jack!"
wept Polly with renewed tears.
 "No, no, Polly," cried Jack, "I don't mean that, I
don't know how I shall bear to leave my little sister,"
and he drew her to him, and soothed the sobbing
child with fond words and caresses.
 That evening was a very silent one at Hillside-
even at tea-time, when the little girl's gay chatter
usually enlivened the meal-she sat silent, absorbed
in grief.
 The next few weeks brought no relief to Polly's
sorrow; it even affected her health, for she grew
perceptibly paler and thinner, and her merry