"You'll never never tell, Miss Em'ly? Upon your word of honor?"
"Never, once! Never, twice! Never, three times!" crossing her heart playfully.
"And you won't feel bad about it?"
"You little goose! Why should I feel bad about what you have done?"
When she had heard the short story, artlessly told, the young lady's tone and countenance altered. Tears gathered in the blue eyes and rolled down upon Flea's upturned face as the listener kissed her once and again upon the scratched cheek.
"YOU DEAR, BRAVE, SPLENDID CHILD!"
"You dear, brave, splendid child! To think you have done all this for me! I'll never forget it to my dying day."
"I would have died before I would have told on you, Miss Em'ly!" cried the excited girl, her eyes shining with the enthusiasm of self-sacrifice.
Miss Em'ly's serious mood had passed already. She called Flea "a little goose" again, and bade her "get her books and things and run along home."