consciousness of guilt weighed down her eyelids like lead. She could not
look at her teacher: she only shook her curly head.

"Katie," said the master kindly, "you were not sent to pick berries: you
ran into the woods to pick them for yourself. Perhaps this is your first
falsehood, as it is the first time you have been late at school. Pray
God that it may be your last."

"Oh, oh!" broke forth the little culprit, "the neighbor's boy, Fritz,
took me with him; and the berries tasted so good that I staid too long."

[Illustration: At Teacher's Desk]

The other children laughed; but a motion of the master's hand restored
silence, and, turning to Katie, he said, "Now, my child, for your
tardiness you will have a black mark, and go down one in your class;
but, Katie, for the falsehood you will lose your place in my heart, and
I cannot love you so much. But I will forgive you, if you will go stand
in the corner of your own accord. Which will you do,--lose your place in
my heart, or go stand in the corner for a quarter of an hour?"

The child burst into a flood of tears, and sobbing out, "I'd rather go
stand in the corner," went there instantly, and turned her dear little
face to the wall.

In a few minutes the master called her, and, as she came running to him,
he said: "Will you promise me, Katie, never again to say what is not
true?"

"Oh, yes, I will try--I will try never, never to do it again," was the