Jim did not go to school, and spent his time looking everywhere in the orchard and in the garden, while Spot followed him, wondering what was the matter.
No one had any appetite for dinner, and after trying in vain to eat a potato, Jim went up to his room.
Mrs. Martin tried to sit still, and sew, but she could not bear it long; and when she heard the children coming from school, she went to the gate to look at them; they were so happy that it seemed to do her good.
“Is Jimmy sick?” asked little Nelly, stopping on her way.
“No,” said Mrs. Martin; “but he’s been busy, and couldn’t go to school.”
Nelly wanted to send him a nice russet apple she had kept for him, but she did not quite dare to do it because Mrs. Martin looked so sober.
Jim heard her voice from his room, but he did not dare to show himself. “She won’t like me just the same when she hears of this,” he thought; and he felt as if he had not a friend in the world. “I would give my head to find that thing,” he said; “she don’t believe I took it, but she believes it too; I shall have to go away from here, and I don’t care what becomes of me, anyway.”
Mrs. Martin stood at the gate a little while watching the children, then she went to the garden to look at her hot-beds—two large pine boxes in which lettuce, radishes, and tomatoes were doing their best to grow fast and green.
When she came near the beds, she saw Spot stretched on the ground, enjoying an old bone, as she thought.
“This won’t do, Spot,” she said; “I don’t want you to bring your bones here. Go away!”