“What’ll she do? She’ll be very much frightened.”
“I expect she will,” said Tom, who had made up her mind not to tell too much.
“Were you going back to the city?”
Tom answered in the affirmative. I do not mean to defend the lie, for a lie it was, but I have not represented Tom as perfect in any respect. In the future she will improve, I hope, when placed under more favorable circumstances. Her object in saying what she did was to prevent any opposition being made to her return to the city.
“You haven’t had any supper, have you?” asked Mrs. Hooper.
“I ate a few cakes,” answered Tom.
“That isn’t hearty enough for a growing girl,” said the good woman. “You must take some supper with us.”
The family supper had been eaten, but a tempting array of dishes was soon set before Tom, whose appetite was always ready to answer any reasonable demands upon it.
In the evening Tom’s best course was discussed. She expressed a strong desire to return at once to the city, saying she would be all right there.
“If your grandmother would not feel anxious about you,” said Mrs. Hooper, “we should be glad to have you stop with us a day or two.”