"I am all right," said Kitty. She staggered across the room and poured some water into a glass.
"I did not eat much lunch," she continued; "and I am—Never mind; go on."
"Well," continued Carrie, "if nothing comes to Aunt Charlotte's ears to turn her mind the other way, Elma will be all right; she will move in your sphere—yes, she will, whether you like it or not. She is just so clever she is able to do anything. So I have come to say that I hope to goodness you won't split on her, for it would be mighty cruel of you. You would ruin her for life, and that would be a nice consolation for you when you came to die. She did not steal your money, remember; you gave it to her."
"I lent it to her."
"Oh, how you will harp upon that! But you didn't tell her to a day when she was to pay it back again."
"No, I certainly did not; but, of course, I expected that she would return it to me when I asked for it; and then she spent it on dress."
"Spent it on dress? What do you mean?"
"She told me so."
"Oh, naughty, naughty little Elma!" said Carrie, shaking her forefinger in a very knowing manner "She didn't like to tell about Sam, and so she made up that story, did she? Well, it was an untruth. She didn't spend that money on dress; she—well, I will tell you—I stole it from her."
"You!" gasped Kitty, backing away in horror.