"
Kind, gentle Jessie seemed quite transported out of herself, as she
flew to the door and called Johnny, leaving the two mothers looking
at each other, and Ellen, somewhat startled, saying "I'm sure, if it
is not true, I'm very sorry, Caroline, but it came from—-"
She broke off, for Johnny was scuffling across the hall, calling out
"Holloa, Jessie, what's up?"
"Johnny, she's done it!" said Jessie. "You said if the wrong one was
accused you would tell the whole story!"
"And what do they say?" asked John, who was by this time in the room.
"Mamma has been telling Aunt Carey that Rob put poor little Armine
under the pump for using bad language."
"I say!" exclaimed John; "if that is not a cram!"
"You said you knew nothing of it," said his mother.
"I said I didn't do it. No more I did," said John.
"No more did Rob, I am sure," said his mother.
But Johnny, though using no word of denial, made it evident that she
was mistaken, as he answered in an odd tone of excuse, "Armie was
cheeky."
"But he didn't use bad words!" said Caroline, and she met a look of
comfortable response.
"Let us hear, John," said his mother, now the most agitated. "I
can't believe that Rob would so ill-treat a little fellow like Armie,
even if he did lose his temper for a moment.
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