body rushed to his pale grave face. "Is she being whipped?" he
whispered, with set lips.

"No; she needs it bad enough, but we ain't savages. She's only got the
pretty temper that matches her hair, just as you said. I guess we
haven't been behavin' to suit her."

"Can I go up? She'll stop in a minute when she sees me. She never went
to bed without me before, and truly, truly, she's not a cross baby!"

"Come right along and welcome; just so long as she has to stay you're
invited to visit with her. Land sakes! the neighbors will think we're
killin' pigs!" and Miss Vilda started upstairs to show Timothy the way.

Gay was sitting up in bed and the faithful Samantha Ann was seated
beside her with a lapful of useless bribes,--apples, seed-cakes, an
illustrated Bible, a thermometer, an ear of red corn, and a large
stuffed green bird, the glory of the "keeping room" mantelpiece.

But a whole aviary of highly colored songsters would not have assuaged
Gay's woe at that moment. Every effort at conciliation was met with the
one plaint: "I want my Timfy! I want my Timfy!"

At the first sight of the beloved form, Gay flung the sacred bird into
the furthest corner of the room and burst into a wild sob of delight, as
she threw herself into Timothy's loving arms.

Fifteen minutes later peace had descended on the troubled homestead, and
Samantha went into the sitting-room and threw herself into the depths of
the high-backed rocker. "Land o' liberty! perhaps I ain't het-up!" she