No one had noticed the tiny white figure which now crouched behind a clump of bushes weeping bitterly and talking to itself, but, in a subdued way as if fearful of being overheard.

“Where am I?  O mamma, papa, come and help your little Vi!  I don’t know how I got here.  Oh, where are you, my own mamma?” A burst of sobs; then “Oh, I’m so ’fraid! and mamma can’t hear me, nor papa; but Jesus can; I’ll ask him to take care of me; and he will.”

The small white hands folded themselves together and the low sobbing cry went up, “Dear Jesus, take care of your little Vi, and don’t let anything hurt her; and please bring papa to take her home.”

At Ion little Elsie woke and missed her sister.  They slept together in a room opening into the nursery on one side, and the bedroom of their parents on the other.  Doors and windows stood wide open and the moon gave sufficient light for the child to see at a glance that Vi was no longer by her side.

Slipping out of bed, she went softly about searching for her, thinking to herself the while, “She’s walking in her sleep again, dear little pet, and I’m afraid she may get hurt; perhaps fall down stairs.”

She had heard such fears expressed by her papa and mamma since of late Violet had several times risen and strayed about the house in a state of somnambulism.

Elsie passed from room to room growing more and more anxious and alarmed every moment at her continued failure to find any trace of the missing one.  She must have help.

Dinah, who had care of the little ones, slept in the nursery.  Going up to her bed, Elsie shook her gently.

“What’s de matter, honey?” asked the girl, opening her eyes and raising herself to a sitting posture.

“Where’s Violet?  I can’t find her.”

“Miss Wi’let? aint she fas’ asleep side o’ you, Miss Elsie?”

“No, no, she isn’t there, nor in any of mamma’s rooms.  I’ve looked through them all.  Dinah where is she?  We must find her:  come with me, quick!”

Dinah was already out of bed and turning up the night lamp.

“I’ll go all ober de house, honey,” she said, “but ’spect you better wake yo’ pa.  He’ll want to look for Miss Wi’let hisself.”

Elsie nodded assent, and hastening to his side softly stroked his face with her hand, kissed him, and putting her lips close to his ear, whispered half sobbingly, “Papa, papa, Vi’s gone:  we can’t find her.”

He was wide awake instantly.  “Run back to your bed, darling,” he said:  “and don’t cry; papa will soon find her.”

He succeeded in throwing on his clothes and leaving the room without rousing his wife.  He felt some anxiety, but the idea that the child had left the house never entered his mind until a thorough search seemed to give convincing proof that she was not in it.

He went out upon the veranda.  Bruno rose, stretched himself and uttered a low whine.