things. I wish for a pony, and a parrot, and a dog, and a carriage, and a dishful of cherries, and lots of other things, and I wish to be a very brave soldier some day.'

'I think I wish to be a fairy,' said Ella, as she put her cherry into her mouth.

'But we've told our wishes, so they will not come true,' said Bertie.

'What a pity,' replied Ella, 'shall we go on with our game, now?'

'Let us have one more each,' said Bertie, 'four won't be noticed any more than two.'

'No, I don't want any more,' answered Ella.

Oh, you silly! I shall have one,' said Bertie, and he took one and then ran away to play with Ella; but he could not help thinking of the beautiful cherries, and when it was his turn to hide again, he went past the kitchen window. There were the cherries still.

'I must just taste one more,' he thought to himself, but at that moment he fancied he heard some one coming, so he snatched up a handful and ran away. He hid in the greenhouse, and while he was there he ate the cherries which he

had in his hand; but he made his mouth in rather a mess, for when Ella saw him, she asked

'What is the matter with your mouth, Bertie, has it been bleeding?'

'It's nothing,' answered Bertie, as he wiped off the cherry stains.

It was Ella's turn to hide next, and when she passed the window she saw the cherries were still there, but she did not stop to taste one. As she was running on she saw one of the cherries on the ground, so she picked it up and put it back into the dish, wondering how it could have come on the ground, for she did not know that Bertie had taken a handful, and had dropped this one in his hurry to get away without being seen.

While she was putting the cherry back into the dish, cook came into the kitchen and saw Ella at the window, just as she was going to run away, so she said crossly

'Miss Ella, what are you doing there, meddling with those cherries? I'll just tell your mamma of you.'

'I was only putting one back that I picked up,' answered Ella.

'Don't tell stories, Miss Ella. There's ever so

many gone since I was in the room just now, and who else could have taken them, I should like to know?' said cook.

'I really have not taken them,' replied Ella. 'Bertie and I took one each just now, but I am very sorry I did.'

'I guess you had rather more than one each,' muttered cook.

Ella remembered then that Bertie did take two, but she did not like to tell cook, for fear she should think he had taken a lot, and so tell mamma of him, for as she looked at the dish, she noticed for the first time that a good many were gone since she was last at the window, but she did not say anything more about it, and ran away to hide.

As Bertie passed the window, he snatched up two or three more cherries in his hand, but cook was not in the room now to see him. I am afraid he did so each time he passed, for he did not try to resist the temptation, and thought to himself each time, 'two or three won't show.'

Presently they heard the dinner-bell ring, so they had to go in, but as they passed the kitchen window, Ella said