“I think we are never sorry for doing our duty,” her father said, softly stroking her hair, “and I think, too, that my little girl quite deserves the watch.”

“And I’m so glad to have it!” she cried, holding it up, and gazing at it with a face full of delight.  “I must run and show it to Sophy!”

She was getting down from his knee; but he drew her back.  “Wait a little, daughter; I have something to tell you.”

“What, papa?”

“We have paid our friends a very long visit, and I think it is time for us to go, if we would not have them grow weary of us:  so I have decided to leave Elmgrove to-morrow.”

“Have you, papa?  I like to travel, but I shall be so sorry to leave Sophy, and Miss Rose, and all the rest; they are so kind, and I have had such a pleasant time with them.”

“I have told you the bad news first,” he said, smiling; “now I have some good.  We are going to take a trip through New England and the State of New York; and Miss Rose and Mr. Edward have promised to accompany us:  so you see you will not have to part with them just yet.”

Elsie clapped her hands at this piece of good news.

“O papa, how pleasant it will be!  Dear, dear Miss Rose; I am so glad she is going.”

“And Mr. Edward?”

“Yes, papa, I like him too, but I love Miss Rose the best of all.  Don’t you, papa?”

Her father only smiled, and said “Miss Rose was very lovely, certainly.”

The breakfast-bell rang, and she ran down, eager to show her watch.  It was much admired by all; but there was great lamentation, especially amongst the younger members of the family, when it was announced that their guests were to leave them so soon.

“Why couldn’t Elsie stay always?” they asked.  “Why couldn’t she live with them? they would only be too glad to have her.”

Mr. Dinsmore laughed, and told them he could not possibly spare Elsie, for she was his only child, and he had no one else to share his home.

“But you may stay too, Mr. Dinsmore,” said Sophy; “there’s plenty of room, and mamma and Rose like to have you read to them.”

Rose blushed, and shook her head at Sophy, and Mr. Dinsmore replied that it would be very pleasant to live at Elmgrove, but that Elsie and he had a home of their own to which they must soon return, and where she would be very glad to receive a visit from any or all of them.

CHAPTER XVII.

“Have you arranged your plans in regard to what places you will visit and in what order you will take them?” asked Mr. Allison, addressing Mr. Dinsmore.

“We have not,” he replied; “that is, not very definitely; only that we will visit New England and New York.”

“Elsie looks as if she could make a suggestion,” remarked Miss Rose, with a smiling glance at the bright, animated face of the little girl.