"If you please, Mr. Tetlow, I came to see you about my brother, Bert Bobbsey," began Nan.
Mr. Tetlow looked at her kindly, for he half expected what was coming.
"What is it, Nan?" he asked.
"I—I—oh, Mr. Tetlow, won't you please let Bert off this time? He only did it because Danny said such things about me; said I was afraid of the ghost, and made all the boys call out that we had a ghost at our house. I—I—think, somehow, that I ought to be punished if he is."
There, it was out, and Nan felt the better for it. Her deep brown eyes looked squarely into the eyes of the principal.
In spite of himself Mr. Tetlow was compelled to smile. He knew something of how the Bobbsey twins were devoted to each other.
"So you think you ought to be punished," he said slowly.
"Yes, if Bert is, for you see, he did it mostly for me."
"You are a brave sister to come in his behalf, Nan. I shall not punish him very severely."
"Oh, thank you for saying that, Mr. Tetlow."