thought, of Tommy.

"Oh, ma! ma! Tee watch! tee watch!" cried the child, almost wild
with delight--at the same time advancing towards her as far as the
chain would permit, and then tugging at it as hard as he could, to
the no small discomfort of the visitor, who, seeing no movement of
relief on the part of either parent, was forced to slip the chain
over his head, and trust Tommy to carry his favourite time-keeper to
his mother.

"Tommy'll be a watch-maker, I expect. Nothing pleases him so much as
a watch," remarked the father.

Mr. Pelby did not reply. He dared not, for he felt that, were he to
trust himself to speak, he should betray feelings that politeness
required him to conceal.

"There!" suddenly exclaimed the mother, catching eagerly at the
watch, which Tommy had dropped, and recovering it just in time to
save it from injury.

"Gim me! gim me! gim me!" cried Tommy, seizing her hands, and
endeavouring to get possession again of the valuable timepiece,
which had escaped so narrowly.

"There, now," said Mrs. Little, yielding to the child's eager
importunity, and permitting him again to take possession of the
watch. "But you must hold it tighter."

Mr. Pelby was on nettles; but he dared not interfere.