“Bravo! that’s a capital idea!” cried Harold, beginning at once to divest himself of his shoos and stockings; then rolling his pantaloons up to his knees he stepped in, followed by Sophy, who had made her preparations with equal dispatch.

“Come, Elsie, aren’t you going to get in, too?” she asked, for Elsie still sat on the bank making no movement towards following their example.

“I should like to, very much; but I don’t know whether papa would approve of it.”

“Why, what objection could he have? it can’t do us any harm, for I’m sure we couldn’t drown if we tried,” said Harold.  “Come now, Elsie, don’t be so silly.  I wouldn’t ask you to do anything your papa had forbidden, but he never said you shouldn’t wade in the brook, did he?”

“No, he never said anything about it,” she answered, smiling, “for I never thought of doing such a thing before.”

“Come, Elsie, do,” urged Sophy; “it is such fun;” and at length Elsie yielded, and was soon enjoying the sport as keenly as the others.

But after a while they grew tired of wading, and began to amuse themselves by sailing bits of bark and leaves on the water.  Then Harold proposed building a dam; and altogether they enjoyed themselves so thoroughly, that they quite forgot how time was passing until the lengthening shadows warned them that it was long past their usual hour for returning home.

“Oh, we must make haste home,” exclaimed Harold suddenly; “it can’t be very far from tea-time, and mamma won’t like it if we are late.”

They hurried out of the water, dried their feet as well as they could, put on their shoes and stockings, and started on a run for the house.

But they had not gone more than half-way when Elsie cried out that she had lost her rings.

“Those beautiful rings!  Oh, dear! where did you lose them?” asked Sophy.

“I don’t know at all; I just missed them this minute, and I am afraid they are in the brook;” and Elsie turned and ran back as fast as she could; followed by the others.

“We’ll all hunt,” said Harold, kindly, “and I guess we’ll find them; so don’t cry, Elsie;” for the little girl was looking much distressed.

“O Elsie, I’m afraid your papa will be very angry; and perhaps whip you very hard,” exclaimed Sophy; “they were such pretty rings.”

“No, he won’t whip me; he never did in his life,” replied Elsie quickly, “and he has often told me he would never punish me for an accident, even though it should cost the loss of something very valuable.  But I am very sorry to lose my rings, because, besides being pretty, and worth a good deal of money, they were presents, one from papa, and the other from Mr. Travilla.”

“But, Elsie, I thought your papa was awfully strict, and punished you for every little thing,”

“No; for disobedience, but not for accidents.”

They searched for some time, looking all about the part of the stream where they had been playing, and all over the bank, but without finding the rings; and at last Elsie gave it up, saying it would not do to stay any longer, and they could look again to-morrow.