“It’s nothing but suspicion, I believe,” replied Oscar; “but Ronald says he’s certain Henry did it, and he declares he will never have anything more to say to him. It’s a little suspicious that Henry hasn’t been over here, since that day, isn’t it?”
“Well, I shall not believe Henry did it, unless he acknowledges it, or some witness testifies that he saw him do it,” added Jessie. “I will go over and see Henry, to-day, and find out the truth about the matter.”
In the afternoon, when her work was finished up, Jessie went over to Mr. Allen’s, where Henry lived, and made inquiries about the report she had heard in the morning. Her brother readily admitted that he had destroyed the snow-house; but he justified himself on the ground, first, that Ronald did not treat him well, but provoked him to do it; and secondly, that he had a right to destroy it, as the snow-house was just as much his as it was Ronald’s. Jessie listened patiently to all he had to say in his defence, and then simply inquired:—
“Why haven’t you been over to see us, since that day?—you used to come almost every day.”
Henry bit his thumb nail nervously, and gazed intently at the corner of the carriage-shed, but made no reply.
“Come, Henry, I want an answer to that question,” added Jessie. “You know that you and I have no better friend, next to our mother, than Mrs. Page. Then all the rest of the family have always been very kind to us. Now I want to know why you should shun them all, and your own sister, too, if you only did what your conscience approved, the last time you were over there. Will you answer me that?”
After a long pause, finding that Jessie was still patiently waiting for a reply, he stammered:—
“I don’t know—I suppose I didn’t do exactly right—but Ronald’s more to blame than I am—he began to pick upon me, first.”
“Well,” added Jessie, “I want this quarrel settled right up, before it grows any worse. You acknowledge that you did wrong; now are you willing to confess this to the one you wronged, and to ask his pardon?”
“If he’d apologize to me first, perhaps I would,” replied Henry, after a little hesitation.