up. Her
heart beat faster and faster; her face was flushed and eager; she looked
a year older than when she started that morning. She had seen no great
black dog, and Cap'n Moseby, with his gun, had not appeared. In the
distance she could see the hipped roof and squat chimney of the Moseby
house; but nobody molested her.

When her bucket was full, she tugged Jonathan across the field again.
This time he rebelled; a blackberry vine had scratched his little legs,
and his peace was too rudely disturbed. Mirandy tugged him into his
little wagon, and he lay there kicking and screaming. She flew back
across the field for her bucket of berries. She had been forced to
leave it while she brought Jonathan over, and the bucket was gone. She
had set it close to the bars, and there could be no mistake about it.

Mirandy went back across the field; Jonathan wailed louder than ever.
Her four sisters were gathered about his little wagon, and Daniel and
Abijah were coming through the bushes. Then they all turned on her.

"Now, Mirandy Thayer, I'd like to know this minute where you've been?"
demanded Eliza.

Mirandy jerked her head backward.

"You 'ain't been over in Cap'n Moseby's pasture?"

Mirandy nodded.

"She's been over in Cap'n Moseby's pasture," announced Eliza to the
others.

They all stared at Mirandy, and paid no heed to Jonathan's wails.

Suddenly Mirandy flung her little blue apron over her face and began to
weep.

"Did you get scared?" asked Harriet.

"Did the dog chase you?" asked Mary Ann, very excitedly.

Mirandy shook her head, and sobbed harder.

"Did you see Cap'n Moseby with his gun?" asked Daniel.

Mirandy shook her head.

"I wouldn't be such a baby for nothing, then," said Daniel.

"I've lost my bucket!" sobbed Mirandy.

"Lost your bucket!" repeated Eliza. She was the oldest sister there.

Mirandy nodded.

"You're a wicked girl!" Eliza said, severely. "I don't know what
mother'll say. Here's Jonathan all scratched up, too. Did you take him
over there?"

"Yes," sobbed Mirandy.

"You're a dreadful wicked girl! Didn't you know 'twas stealing?"

"Harriet said--it wasn't," returned Mirandy, in feeble defence.

"It was. I shouldn't think you'd said such a thing, Harriet."

"Of course it's stealing," said Daniel, soberly.

"Here you've been stealing," scolded Eliza; "and your bucket's gone, and
Jonathan is all scratched up with blackberry vines. I don't know what
mother'll say."

She to