"You mind your business," was all Ozzy would say.
As it happened, the children were not very closely questioned. A houseful of company had arrived in the course of the afternoon, and Mrs. Dennison had her hands full.
She easily accepted Osric's excuse that Miss Hilliard had kept the whole arithmetic class after school, and that Elsie had waited for him, for even Osric hesitated about involving Elsie in a scrape unnecessarily.
"You must be more careful another time," said she. "Elsie, you did not do wrong in waiting for your brother, so you need not look so sorrowful. It was nothing worse than an error in judgment, and you could not know that I needed you. Run and put on your clean pink frock, and then set the table."
Elsie obeyed, feeling more unhappy than she had ever done in all her life. She knew that by her silence, she made herself a party to Osric's lie, and a lie was dreadful to Elsie. Still, she could not bear to betray her brother. Even the beautiful new book which her aunt had brought her, could not divert her attention from her troubles, and every one noticed how quiet and sober she was.
"Is Elsie always so sedate?" asked her aunt.
"She is always a quiet child," replied her mother. "Elsie is one of those who always have to carry other people's burdens, and I suspect she feels Osric's being kept after school far more than he does. She is so good herself that she rarely has any faults of her own to repent of, and she makes it up by repenting of her brother's."
Elsie overheard these words, and she could bear her trouble no longer. She ran up to her room, and throwing herself down on her knees beside the bed, she burst into tears and cried as if her heart would break. Presently, Osric heard her, and came into the room.
"Do be still," said he, angrily. "What do you make such a fuss for? Nobody has said anything to you."
"I can't help it, Ozzy," said Elsie, between her sobs. "I feel so wicked."