"I can't imagine," said the Rector, walking into the drawing-room the
following afternoon, "I can't imagine where Tiny is. I want her to
drive to the other end of the parish with me."
"There she comes," said his wife, looking out of the window, "by the
garden-gate, with a great basket; what has she been after?"
The Rector went out to discover, and met his daughter looking
decidedly earthy, and seemingly much exhausted by the weight of a
basketful of groundsel plants.
"Where have you been?" said he.
"In the Doctor's garden," said Tiny triumphantly, "and look what I
have done! I've weeded his sweet-peas, and brought away the groundsel;
so when he gets home to-night he'll think a Brownie has been in the
garden, for Mrs. Pickles has promised not to tell him."
"But look here!" said the Rector, affecting a great appearance of
severity, "you're my Brownie, not his. Supposing Tommy Trout had gone
and weeded Farmer Swede's garden, and brought back his weeds to go to
seed on the Tailor's flower-beds, how do you think he would have liked
it?"
Tiny looked rather crestfallen. When one has fairly carried through a
splendid benevolence of this kind, it is trying to find oneself in the
wrong. She crept up to the Rector, however, and put her golden head
upon his arm.
"But, Father dear," she pleaded, "I didn't mean not to be your
Brownie; only, you know, you had got five left at home, and it was
only for a short time, and the Doctor hasn't any Brownie at all. Don't
you pity him?"
And the Rector, who was old enough to remember that grave-stone story
we wot of, hugged his Brownie in his arms, and answered--
"My Darling, I do pity him!"
* * * * *
Handy Illustrated Volumes by popular authors, including
LOUISA M. ALCOTT, SUSAN COOLIDGE, _Nora Perry_, HELEN HUNT
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[Illustration]
Against Wind and Tide. By LOUISE CHANDLER MOULTON, author of "Bed-Time
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A Hole in the Wall. By LOUISA M. ALCOTT, author of "Little Women,"
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A Little Knight of Labor. By SUSAN COOLIDGE, author of "What Katy
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Children's Hour. By MARY W. TILESTON, author of "Daily Strength for
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Chop Chin and the Golden Dragon. By LAURA E. RICHARDS, author of "The
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Cottage Neighbors. NORA PERRY, author of "Hope Benham," etc.
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Four of Them. By LOUISE CHANDLER MOULTON.
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