“I don’t care,” exclaimed Dot. “I know those walnuts are disagreeing with her right now, and I’m glad. My! but she was punished soon for her greediness, wasn’t she, Tess?”
There was something going on at the Creamer cottage, next door to the old Corner House. Tess and Dot became aware of this fact at about this time, so did not bother their heads much about Sandy’s supposed gluttony. Some of the windows on the second floor of the cottage were darkened, and every morning a closed carriage stopped before the house and a man went in with a black bag in his hand.
Tess and Dot were soon wondering what could be happening to the little Creamer girls. The only one they saw was the curly haired one, who had spoken so unpleasantly to them on a particular occasion. They saw her wandering about the yard, and knew that she did not play, and was often crying by herself behind the clumps of bushes.
So Tess, whose heart was opened immediately to any suffering thing, ventured near the picket fence again, and at last spoke to the Creamer girl.
“What’s the matter, please?” Tess asked. “Did you lose anything? Can we help you find it?”
The curly headed girl looked at her in surprise. Her pretty face was all streaked with tears.
“You—you want to keep away from me!” she blurted out.
“Oh, dear, me!” said Tess, clinging to Dot’s hand. “I didn’t mean to offend you again.”
“Well, you’ll catch it, maybe,” sniffled the Creamer girl, whose name was Mabel.
“Catch what?” asked Tess.