“Ha, ha, ha! Well, don’t you dare to fall in anywhere and drown your little self,” said Jack; “else you will catch it. Good-bye, Cinder. Take care of baby. Good-bye, Eenie-’Theenie.”
And away went Dick and Jack whooping.
“I don’t love your brothers much,” said ’Theena, almost crying. “What makes them call you Cinder?”
“I don’t know, I’m sure, ’Theena; but I don’t mind it if you don’t.”
“I shall call you Tom.”
“Thank you; but really I don’t mind, you know, and if you would prefer—”
“No, no, no. I don’t like Cinderella. You’re not a girl.”
“O, no. I’m a boy, and Uncle Robert says I shall soon be a man. Wouldn’t you like to be a boy, ’Theena?”
“Yes, dearly.”
“It would be so nice if you were. We could have even better fun than we have now, and you would be able to get up trees, and shoot, and do everything I do.”