“There, there, darling:  papa has you safe in his arms.  Thank God for taking care of my little pet,” he said, clasping her closer, and quickening his pace, while Bruno wagging his tail and barking joyously, gamboled about them, now leaping up to touch his tongue to the little dusty toes now bounding on ahead, and anon returning to repeat his loving caress; and so at last they arrived at home.

Mr. Travilla had scarcely left the house, ere the babe waked his mother.  She missed her husband at once, and hearing a half smothered sob coming from the room occupied by her daughters; she rose and with the babe in her arms, hastened to ascertain the cause.

She found Elsie alone, crying on the bed with her face half hidden in the pillows.

“My darling, what is it?” asked the mother’s sweet voice.  “But where is Vi?”

“O, mamma, I don’t know; that is the reason I can’t help crying,” said the child, raising herself and putting her arms about her mother’s neck, as the latter sat down on the side of the bed.  “But don’t be alarmed, mamma, for papa has gone to find her.”

“Where, daughter? she cannot have gone out of the house, surely?”

At this instant Dinah appeared and delivered her master’s message.

To obey his injunction not to be alarmed, was quite impossible to the loving mother heart, but she endeavored to conceal her anxiety and to overcome it by casting her care on the Lord.  The babe had fallen asleep again, and laying him gently down, she took Elsie in her arms and comforted her with caresses and words of hope and cheer.

“Mamma,” said the little girl, “I cannot go to sleep again till papa comes back.”

“No, I see you can’t, nor can I so we will put on our dressing-gowns and slippers, and sit together at the window, to watch for him, and when we see him coming up the avenue with Vi in his arms, we will run to meet them.”

So they did, and the little lost one, found again, was welcomed by mother and sister, and afterward by nurse and mammy, with tender, loving words, caresses and tears of joy.

Then Dinah carried her to the nursery, washed the soiled, tired little feet, changed the draggled night-gown for a fresh and clean one, and with many a hug and honeyed word, carried her back to bed, saying, as she laid her down in it, “Now, darlin’, don’t you git out ob heyah no mo’ till mornin’.”

“No, I’ll hold her fast; and papa has locked the doors so she can’t get out of these rooms,” said Elsie, throwing an arm over Vi.

“Yes, hold me tight, tight” murmured Vi, cuddling down close to her sister, and almost immediately falling asleep, for she was worn out with fatigue and excitement.

Elsie lay awake some time longer, her young heart singing for joy over her recovered treasure, but at length fell asleep also, with the murmur of her parents’ voices in her ears.

They were talking of Violet, expressing their gratitude to God that no worse consequences had resulted from her escapade, and consulting together how to prevent a repetition of it.