116 “CARROTS.”

‘When you first discovered the accident, what
words escaped you?”

«« Rlizabetha reflected, and presently her color
rose,

«eT fear, ma’am,” she said, “I fear that at
the first sight of the broken vase I spoke un-
guardedly. I exclaimed that without doubt
Adolphus had thrown down the ornament on
purpose to annoy me, and that I wished so
mean-spirited a youth were not my brother.
My little sister Celia was beside me at the
time—can she have carried to him what I
said? I did not really mean that; my words
were but the momentary expression of my vex-
ation.”

««TTer mother gravely shook her head.

«e«Tt igs your own doing altogether, Eliza-
betha,” she said, “and you cannot complain
that your brother resents so unkind and un-
true a charge.”

“¢ Elizabetha burst into tears; but the harm
was done, and it was some time before Adol-
phus could forget the pain of her unjust and
hasty words.

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