“What has got into those kittens? They act as if they were crazy,” said Hannah, when she had nearly fallen over them for the fifth time before breakfast. “Here, you run out of doors and play there,” she continued, driving them out; “I don’t care to break my neck just yet!” So out the kittens went, and the same performance was gone through with there.
“What can those kittens have to play with, do you suppose?” said Nancy, as the children came in from the garden to breakfast; “they are rolling something that shines;” and they ran up to examine it more closely.
“It is Hannah’s silver thimble, I do believe!” exclaimed Tom, as he picked up the shining plaything.
“Oh, I’m so glad!” cried Nancy joyfully; “now she won’t think I stole it.”
“I shall show it to her right off this very minute,” said Posy, snatching the thimble out of Tom’s hand and running into the kitchen with it in a very earnest manner.
“Hannah,” she said, holding up the thimble, “here is your silver thimble,—the house-kittens had it to play with, and Nancy didn’t steal it, there now!”
Hannah put the thimble in her pocket without a word; but this didn’t satisfy Posy, who liked to see justice done, and always felt distressed if people were not harmonious in their relations to each other.
“Now you know her isn’t a thief, don’t you, Hannah?” said Posy in her most winning tones.
“I suppose she didn’t take the thimble,” replied Hannah; “but the necklace and the cat’s collar haven’t turned up yet.”
“Hannah!” cried Posy indignantly, “I think you are a very mean girl, and I shan’t ever come and help you cook any more!”