“Why, when I got up, before breakfast.”
“Mercy! Go right up and pull the clothes back. It must always air for an hour.”
Poor Clematis went up and pulled the clothes back to air.
“How can I help, if every single thing I do is wrong?” Clematis spoke crossly out the window at the robin on the edge of the roof.
Then she felt a crumb in her pocket, and pushed up the screen to throw it out.
Mr. Robin flew away, and Mrs. Alder came in at that moment.
“Dear child, what on earth have you put up that screen for? Do you want to fill the house with flies?”
“No’m, I didn’t know—”
“Oh, well, never mind. You don’t know much, I guess. I promised to take you, and I’ll keep my word, but it’s no use trying to fit city children into real homes.”
Mrs. Alder shut the screen with a bang.