Mother Blossom folded the note she had been reading.
“Dot and Twaddles, Sam is just backing out the car to go after Daddy,” she said to the twins. “Run along, and you may go with him.”
The twins scampered off, and then she turned to Meg and Bobby.
“Miss Mason evidently thinks you destroyed the book, Bobby,” sighed Mother Blossom, “but as it can not be positively proved, you are to go to school as usual. I am sorrier than words can tell you that this has happened. But, dearie, I’m afraid you are a bit to blame.”
“Me?” cried the astonished Bobby. “Why, Mother!”
“Well, think how you acted over the arithmetic lesson,” Mother Blossom reminded him. “You know Daddy and I have talked to you about this before, Bobby. You are not a very good loser, and the boy who can’t lose and keep 91 his temper will never be a good sportsman. Suppose Daddy got mad and ‘talked back’ whenever things didn’t go to suit him at the foundry!”
Mother Blossom put an arm around Bobby and drew him closer to her.
“And if you had spoken to Daddy or to me as you did to Miss Mason,” she went on, smoothing back his hair, “I think you know what you would be asked to do––what you would want to do, in fact. Don’t you?”
“’Pologize,” muttered Bobby shamefacedly.
“Yes,” said Mother Blossom. “And I want you to apologize to Miss Mason for being discourteous. Never mind if she does think you spoiled the book. As long as you know and we know you didn’t, that really doesn’t matter very much; and you’ll feel so much better if you do what is right. The boy who did ruin the book will be found out some day. Such things always come to light.”