“That you have been playing with me all the morning.”
“Of course I shall tell her. I tell her everything, and you know we have minded exactly, for neither one of us has crossed the brook. Mother never said I couldn’t talk to you; she only said I was not to go over to your place.”
“And Aunt Betty said I mustn’t go to your place, so we really have minded them, haven’t we?”
“I should think we had,” replied Jessie. “Good-bye.”
“Good-bye,” responded Adele. And both little girls went off feeling very virtuous.
Jessie did not delay in telling her mother all about the morning’s meeting. “Do you mind, mother?” she asked.
“No,” answered her mother. “I don’t think I do in the least. I see that you both meant to be obedient, and I think the hard lesson Adele has had promises to do her a great deal of good.”
“I feel so sorry for her, oh, so sorry,” said Jessie thoughtfully. “She cried herself to sleep last night because she was so lonely. If she had had you, mother, to tuck her up and kiss her good-night and to make her feel comfortable inside, as you do me after I have been naughty, she wouldn’t have felt so.”
“Poor little child,” said Mrs. Loomis compassionately.
“I think she loves me very much,” said Jessie, “and she did just as I told her was right this morning. She never said one word about Polly or Peter Pan, either. Don’t you think I can be friends with her again, mother?”