“They’re going to take something to eat in a basket,” said Joel, beginning to look very injured, “and they wouldn’t take me. They told me to run home and tell you.”
“Oh, Joey, and you forgot a message,” said Mrs. Pepper reprovingly.
“I didn’t mean to,” said Joel, hanging his head.
“Didn’t mean to, doesn’t excuse such a thing,” said Mrs. Pepper. Then she set the frying-pan at the back of the stove and stood quite still.
“Mamsie—I didn’t,” cried Joel, running over to hide his head in her gown, “I truly didn’t,” he howled.
“No, he didn’t mean to,” echoed David, drawing near in great distress.
“I know, Davie,” said Mrs. Pepper, stroking Joel’s stubby black hair as he burrowed in her gown, “but it is a very bad thing to forget a message.”
“I won’t ever do it again,” whimpered Joel, his brown hands holding fast to her gown.
“I hope not, Joel.” Then she glanced over at the thin slices in the dish on the table. “Ben does like fried potatoes so much! That’s the reason I was going to have them to-day.”
“He can have mine,” said Joel, twitching his head away from Mother Pepper’s gown, and not looking at the potato-dish, for his mouth watered dreadfully.