XI
BEGGING PARDON
Next morning Jimmy walked to school with "the little two," whistling as he went. Lucy had tortured her hair into a "cue," and
"The happy wind upon her played,
Blowing the ringlet from the braid."
"I've got the snarling-est, flying-est hair," scolded she. "I never'll braid it again as long as I live; so there!"
"Good!" cried Jimmy. "It has looked like fury ever since we came up here."
Here Nate overtook the children. He had not been very social since the accident, but seemed now to want to talk.
"How do you do, Jimmy?" he said: and Jimmy responded, "How d'ye do yourself?"
The little girls ran on in advance, and Jimmy would have joined them, but Nate said:—-