THE CONSEQUENCES. 29

don’t, father!” but stopped as she remembered
that neither Mr. nor Mrs. Maine ever said a
harsh word to the little boy, who took even
the mildest reproof very much to heart.

The next day but one was Wednesday, and
a half-holiday. During the afternoon her mo-
ther kept her busy and she saw nothing of her
brother, but when she ran up to brush her hair
for tea she heard a faint sound of sobbing in
his room.

She went in quickly, and found the little
fellow sitting on the floor with his face wet
with tears. Nellie threw her arms round him,
dried his eyes, and kissed him again and again.

“What’s the matter, darling? Have you hurt
yourself? Has somebody been unkind to you?
Why didn’t you come and tell sissy?”

Her caresses and consoling words soon made
Harry smile again, as he clung to her and laid
his rough flaxen head lovingly on her shoulder.

“There! Now you'll tell me what it was—
won't you, dear?” she asked coaxingly.

At first he could not speak, but after a few
minutes the trouble came out.

“Father was so angry,” he whispered with
a catch in his breath left by the sobs. “He