“Well, isn’t she?” said a voice directly behind her, so near that Amanda jumped up in surprise.
“How did you get into the house, Amos Cary!” she exclaimed angrily.
“Phew, Carrot-top! What’s the matter?” responded Amos teasingly. “Say, Sis, don’t cry,” he added. “I won’t call you ‘Carrot-top’ again. You know my hair’s exactly the same color as yours, anyway; so it’s just like calling myself names.”
But Amanda kept on sobbing. “It’s Anne,” she whimpered. “She—she—she’s run off with my basket.”
“Anne!” exclaimed the boy in surprise. “Oh, well, she was only fooling. She’ll bring it back. You know Anne wouldn’t do a mean thing.”
“She would, too. She’s going to Boston, and to Brewster, with Rose Freeman,” said Amanda.
“O-oh! So that’s the trouble, is it?” said Amos. “Well, she’ll come back, so don’t cry,” and he stepped past her and ran down toward the beach.
At Mrs. Stoddard’s Mrs. Cary was repeating Amanda’s story.
“I cannot understand it,” said Mrs. Stoddard. “You know well, Mistress Cary, that Anne is a pleasant child, and she and Amanda started out as friendly as need be. Did Amanda say what began the trouble?”