Part 10 (2/2)

Chicken Little reluctantly obeyed.

”Child, do you want to be a perfect little know-nothing? I am grieved and pained that my only little daughter has such ideas. I can't see where you get them. Katy and Gertie both sew very nicely for their ages and----”

”Yes,” interrupted the child between sobs, ”but their mother lets them learn on rainy days and in the summer when it's too hot to play out doors. She doesn't keep them in all morning on Sat.u.r.day!”

”You have all afternoon to play.”

”But we can't roast apples--the boys are going to the ball game--and they're building the furnace right now and I want to see them. Katy and Gertie are up on the alley fence calling me. Oh! Mother, can't I go?

Please, please, Mother!”

Mrs. Morton looked perplexed for a moment, then straightened herself resolutely.

”No, daughter, you have been a very rebellious little girl. I can't encourage such conduct. But if you will practice your hour faithfully, I'll let you put off the sewing till two o'clock this afternoon--on condition that you promise to sit down without making any fuss and finish that square today. Bring it here and let me see if you are doing it right.”

Jane fidgeted and looked at her mother uneasily.

”I don't know 'zackly where it is,” she objected.

”Go hunt it.”

Chicken Little went slowly, evidently oppressed by thought.

She returned in about three minutes with three much mussed pieces of silk sewn together, from which dangled a needle by a remarkably long and dirty silk thread.

Her mother examined it with disfavor.

”Where are your other pieces?” she inquired sternly.

Chicken Little answered in a most ladylike small voice.

”I--I used them.”

”Used them?--what for?”

”For--silk ravellings.”

”Silk ravellings?--what on earth do you mean?”

”We keep them in our Geographies and Grace Dart had the most colors--and you wouldn't give me any old ribbons--so I used them.”

”Jane Morton, what are you talking about?”

”Jane Morton” looked out the window and squirmed uneasily. ”I just told you,” she said pettishly.

”Bring your Geography here!”

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