"No, she came in here and forgave me. She's the best woman in this world. What do you think she said about you, Dotty Dimple? She said there were other little girls full as good as you are. There!"
"O!"
"Said you 'often did wrong,' that's just what," added Jennie, correcting herself, and making sure of the "white truth."
Step by step Dotty came down from the mountain-top, and, before breakfast was ready, had led her visitor through the morning dew to the playhouse under the trees, chatting all the way as if nothing had happened.
It proved that the money belonged to Abner. He had missed it several weeks before, and ever since that had been suspecting old Daniel McQuilken, a day laborer, of stealing it.
"I'm ashamed of it now," said Abner to Ruth, "though I didn't tell anybody but you. I wish you'd mix a pitcher of sweetened water, and let me take it out to the field to old Daniel. I feel as if I wanted to make it up to him some way."
Ruth laughed; and when Abner came into the house at ten o'clock, she had a pitcher of molasses and water ready for him, also a plate of cherry turnovers. Flyaway insisted upon toddling over the ground with one of the turnovers in her apron.
"Man," said she, when they reached the field, and she saw the Irishman with his funny red and white hair, "what's your name, man?"
He wiped his face with his checked shirt-sleeve, and took a turnover from her hand, bowing very low as he did so.
"Thank ee, my little lady; sense you're plazed to ask me,—my name's Dannul."