“He seems to have your interests so deeply at heart,” Miss Cordon murmured. “If it’s only a misunderstanding—”
“Sam is a thief!” Mrs. Myles repeated. “He knows it too. That’s why he’s ashamed to come here himself! He knows I’ll never speak to him as long as I live. Didn’t he bring disgrace upon the family?”
“That I wouldn’t know,” the teacher replied quietly. “The important thing now is that a little money would save your home. If your brother is willing to help—”
“Don’t talk him up to me,” Mrs. Myles interrupted again. “He’s given me nothing, and he never will.”
“Oh, but he has given you something!” exclaimed Veve.
Too late, she recalled that Miss Gordon had warned the Brownies to let her do most of the talking.
Mrs. Myles was quick to take advantage of Veve’s slip of the tongue.
“What do you mean?” she demanded. “What did Sam ever give me?”
“Those baskets of food,” informed Sunny as Veve remained silent.
“Oh!” exclaimed Mrs. Myles, exactly as if she had received a deep stab wound. “To think of it! If I had dreamed Sam had sent the food, I wouldn’t have touched it!”