Both she and Betty uttered a cry of affright, and at the same instant
Lulu felt herself seized from behind and dragged forcibly back and
within the window from which she had just emerged.

It was the face of a stranger that met her gaze as she looked up with
frightened eyes.

"Child," he said, "that was a narrow escape; don't try it again. Where
are your parents or guardians, that you were permitted to step out there
with no one to take care of you?"

Lulu blushed and hung her head in silence. Betty, who had followed her
in as fast as she could, generously took all the blame upon herself.

"Don't scold her, sir," she said; "it was all my doing. I brought her
here without the knowledge of her parents, and dared her to go out
there."

"You did?" he exclaimed, turning a severe look upon the young girl (he
was a middle-aged man of stern aspect). "Suppose I had not been near
enough to catch her, and she had been precipitated to the ground from
that great height--how would you have felt?"

"I could never have forgiven myself or had another happy moment while I
lived," Betty said, in half tremulous tones, "I can never thank you
enough, sir, for saving her," she added, warmly.

"No, nor I," said the keeper. "I should always have felt that I was to
blame for letting her go out; but you were close behind, sir, and the
other gentleman before, and I took you to be all one party, and of