"Yes, ma'am," said Letty, drawing a long sigh as Mrs. Finley closed the door.
"Came from the poor-house, didn't you?" said Master John Finley, cracking a whip over Letty's head. "Well, I'm glad you've come here at any rate; I haven't known what to do with myself all vacation. It will be prime fun, I'm thinking, to tease you, you little scared rabbit; and I'll tell you, to begin with, that my name is Mr. John Finley, and that I'm my mother's pet, and that whatever I say is pretty likely to be done in this house;—so you'd better be careful and keep on the right side of me," said the wicked boy, as he gave her arm a knock, and sent the waiter of dishes out of her hand upon the floor.
"Oh! Master John," said Letty; "see what you have done—oh!"—and Letty wrung her little white hands.
"See what I've done?" said John. "I like that, Miss Letty, or Hetty, or whatever you call yourself; but what's that string round your neck for?—what's on the end of it, hey?"—and he gave it a rude twitch, snapped it in two, and picked up a little locket that Letty wore in her bosom.
"Oh, Master John," said Letty, "give it back, do,—it's all I have to make me happy now,—my mamma gave it me when she died. She used to wear it once when she was rich. Oh, Master John, don't, please, take it away from me."
"Look here! cry-baby," said John, putting the locket in his jacket pocket, "you never'll see that locket again. I shall say, too, that you broke all those dishes, and if you contradict it, I'll take that locket to a police-man, and tell him you stole it. Won't you look pretty going to jail with your long black curls? Answer me that, Miss Hetty Letty?"
Letty only answered by her sobs.
"What's all this?" said Mrs. Finley, opening the door; "one might as well try to sleep in Bedlam. Merciful man! who broke all those dishes? John Madison Harrison Polk! who broke all those dishes, I say?"
"I told her she'd catch it, mother, when you came down," said John; "see if she dare deny it?"
"Letty," said Mrs. Finley, seizing her by the shoulders and giving her a shake, "did you break that breakfast set?"