“How’d you know that, mamma? Auntie Prim must have gone and told.”
“Yes, darling, I asked her to tell. Isn’t it right for mamma to know all her child has been doing?”
“Yes’m,” replied Flaxie, watching a fly walk on the ceiling.
“And I thought perhaps you would like to talk with me about it, dear.”
“One, two, three, four, five,” said Flaxie to herself, counting the rosebuds in the carpet. Strange her mamma should suppose she wanted to talk about it! Why, there wasn’t a subject in the world so disagreeable as her own naughtiness!
Mrs. Gray waited patiently till the rosebuds were counted, and then Flaxie spoke.
“O mamma, you think I was bad yesterday, but do you s’pose I’d have gone off if I’d known my little brother’s tooth was a-cutting?”
Mrs. Gray smiled down at the innocent, upturned face.
“Well, darling, whether he cut a tooth or not, had you any excuse for staying to tea?”
“No’m. They didn’t have a bit good supper at Patty’s house, and I oughtn’t to have stayed.”