"A—a what?"
"A receipt. Gail says we should never settle a bill without getting a receipt."
"What do you want of a receipt?"
"So's I can show Gail that this bill is settled."
"Aha!" he mocked. "You are afraid Gail will repent and give you another thrashing, are you?"
"No, I'm not! But I want to be sure you don't try to c'llect twice."
He stared at her open-mouthed, too hurt for words; and she, unaware that she had deeply offended him, urged impatiently, as she rubbed her smarting shoulders, "Hurry up! Write it on a piece of paper, so's I can have it to keep always. Haven't you got any in your pocket?"
Mechanically he searched his pockets, drew forth a scrap of an envelope, wrote the receipt she demanded, and handed it to her gravely. She accepted it as gravely, spelled it through, and turned to go, saying piously, "Thank you, Mr. Hardman. I hope you will get your reward in heaven." She meant this in all reverence, thinking only of the receipt he had given her, but he thought she was sarcastically referring to the whipping she had suffered at his hands; and with a queer tightening of his throat, he returned to his work, while she hurried homeward with her precious bit of paper.
"Here is Mr. Hardman's receipt, Gail," she announced, briefly, entering the kitchen where the two older girls were still discussing the new problem.
"Where did you get the money!" asked Faith severely.