s think so. She didn't deny it."

"But did she go to Green Island? Now I think of it, all she said was
that she thought it was a pretty place. She knew that because she saw
it when she went over there to the party."

"Yes, I know that, but it wasn't at Green Island that she got the
strawberries, Polly, and she didn't go anywhere with the Whartons."

"How do you know?"

"I saw Grace at the post-office. I said to her: 'It was real nice of
you all to take Mary out in the launch yesterday,' and she looked so
surprised when she said: 'Why, we didn't take Mary. We didn't go out
at all yesterday, for Uncle Will had some of his friends up from town
and they were using the launch all day.'"

"What _did_ you say?"

"I didn't know what to say. 'Did Mary tell you she was with us?' Grace
asked, and I had to crawl out by saying: 'No, Luella thought so.' Then
Grace said--now what do you think of this, Polly--she said: 'Why, I saw
Mary going out with Ellis Dixon in his brother's boat. I watched them
rowing off. I am sure it was Mary. I couldn't be mistaken for no one
around here has a hat like hers.'"

Polly was silent with amazement and Molly went on: "I had to say, 'Oh,
very likely Aunt Ada knows all about it,' and then I came away as fast
as I could."

"Why Molly Shelton!" exclaimed Polly finding her voice, "do you suppose
she sneaked off that way with a strange little boy when she says her
mother is so particular that she doesn't even let her go on the street
alone? I can't believe it. I think Grace must have been mistaken."

"No, she wasn't. I know that."

"How do you know?"

"I saw Parker Dixon and he said, 'Did the little girl get home all
right? She was pretty safe with El, but I didn't know as your aunt
mightn't hev been oneasy, seeing they was just two children. You tell
her she needn't hev no fear of El; he can handle a boat as good as I
kin.'" Molly unconsciously imitated Parker's manner of speaking.

"Then it is true; of course it is," decided Polly. "Are you going to
tell Aunt Ada?"

"I don't know what to do. I feel as if I ought, and yet I feel sort of
sorry for Mary. She is 'way off from all her people and we've been
picking at her for being so particular and not doing this and not doing
that, so maybe she thought she was doing no more than we would have
done if we had been in her place."

"I know, and maybe we would have done the same, but she needn't have
been deceitful," returned