“Boys should speak when they're spoken to, and not come where they're not wanted,” she answered, in a savage tone. “Maybe I'm goin' to hunt bears.”
“Oh, please, let me go along!” eagerly cried Jake, who believed in bears.
“Go along! Yes, and be eat up.” Miss Lavender looked very much annoyed. Presently, however, her face became amiable; she took a buckskin purse out of her pocket, selected a small silver coin, and leaning over the fence, held it out to Jake.
“Here!” she said, “here's a 'levenpenny-bit for you, if you'll be a good boy, and do exackly as I bid you. Can you keep from gabblin', for two days? Can you hold your tongue and not tell anybody till day after to-morrow that you seen me here, goin' into the woods?”
“Why, that's easy as nothin'!” cried Jake, pocketing the coin. Miss Lavender, leading the horse, disappeared among the trees.
But it was not quite so easy as Jake supposed. He had not been at home ten minutes, before the precious piece of silver, transferred back and forth between his pocket and his hand in the restless ecstasy of possession, was perceived by Joe. Then, as Jake stoutly refused to tell where it came from, Joe rushed into the kitchen, exclaiming,—
“Mammy, Jake's stole a levy!”
This brought out Mother Fairthorn and Sally, and the unfortunate Jake, pressed and threatened on all sides, began to cry lamentably.
“She'll take it from me ag'in, if I tell,” he whimpered.
“She? Who?” cried both at once, their curiosity now fully excited; and the end of it was that Jake told the whole story, and was made wretched.