Reluctantly, Frank drew from his pocket a little square brown case, and, opening it, showed the handsome, pleasant face of his father.
"Oh, only that! Why, it's the cabinet one just cut to fit the case. Yes, you can keep it. Fred there is very like him. You're like your mother. Eh, what's that child doing over there?"
"Nuffin," said Fred, hurriedly abandoning his design to pull the needles out of her knitting.
"You may both go now and play in the court," said Mrs. Rayburn. "There's no flowers there for you to spoil. I'm going to take a nap, for I'm tired out running after you. Now, mind me, boys, particularly Frank, as he's the eldest. I'll be good to you, if you're good; but you may as well give in at once, for I'm not like your mother, that never brought you into order by so much as a smack. Now, you know that I'm in earnest, so run away."
They stole away, hand-in-hand. Frank sat down on the white stone steps.
"Fred, dear," he said, "I do feel so sick and foolish."
"Poo' Fwank, mine own Fwankie," and the little arms stoles round Frank's neck, and the rosy cheek was fondly rubbed against the white one. "It was bad of Fwed not to mind you; Fwed will mind you always now; and be so good. Oh, Fwank, where's muddie?"
"She'll send for us as soon as ever she can. Muddie did not know that grandma would be cross."
But, it was curious enough, Frank was not one whit surprised to find her so.
