“Dear child,” murmured Miss Jewett. “Hereafter we must speak right out, dear, and not allow any more misunderstandings.” Then two or three children came trooping in and Elizabeth went to her seat feeling very happy.
Believing that Elizabeth’s part in the yesterday’s disturbance might not be known, Miss Jewett took pains to inform the school of the little girl’s motives and at the same time she gave a lecture which was really aimed at Bert who felt most uneasy when he learned how unhappy he had made his sister. Indeed, Betsy took it upon herself to charge him with being the guilty one.
“I should think you would be ashamed of yourself, Bert Hollins,” she began at recess when she could get him out of hearing of the others. “I know it was you who brought the mouse to school, for I saw the holes in your lunch box and the cooky that the mouse had nibbled. Don’t you know that Elizabeth got the whole blame for it, and cried herself sick about it? She wasn’t such a sneaky coward as to allow the blame to fall on you where it belonged and she let Miss Jewett believe it was she who did it just to keep you out of trouble.”
“Gee!” exclaimed Bert, “I didn’t know that. I vow I didn’t, Betsy. Was that why she didn’t eat any dinner and didn’t go to school in the afternoon?”
“It was exactly that, if you must know, and I should think you would be ashamed to let a girl be braver than you; I wouldn’t if I were a boy.”
Bert got very red in the face. There was nothing he resented so much as an attack upon his courage. He stood looking very glum while Betsy berated him. “What do you expect me to do?” he said at last.
“What any manly and gentlemanly person would do,” returned Betsy with dignity, and walked away, having had her say.
Bert stood there in a most uncomfortable state of mind. The subject which he thought at rest had come back upon him like a boomerang. If Betsy knew he wondered if Miss Jewett did likewise. Of course Betsy had only guessed at it for he had not actually admitted that she was right. He wondered if Elizabeth was still under suspicion and he eyed her very closely when the return to his seat gave him an opportunity. She seemed as usual. He could see no traces of unhappiness in her face, but she knew and Betsy knew, so it was up to him to do something. He wouldn’t let a girl have more courage than he had. It was fine of Elizabeth, of course, but he almost wished she hadn’t put him in this position, for now he had two things to answer for instead of one. He had begun the mischief and had let her take the blame. Well, of course no man could allow that. All afternoon Bert was most saintly, so much so that Miss Jewett felt that Betsy was right in her suspicions. He went out with the rest, for Miss Jewett had no intention of calling him to account.
However, the schoolroom was scarcely emptied before Bert appeared in the doorway. He stood there twirling his cap and looking most uneasy.
“Well, Bert,” said Miss Jewett encouragingly.