," wailed Katie.

"You were asleep, dear, when I went, but I told them the nuts were from
you, too."

"But I wanted to hear them say, 'thank you!' Take me now."

"I have to go down town for auntie. But she'll let you go."

"Yes, indeed," said their busy aunt when asked.

So Katie went up-stairs to make herself tidy.

"It's mesilf wants to take a 'silvernear,'" she said as she scrubbed
herself; and then in an evil moment, she beheld a small plate with a
bunny on it, which Nora owned and loved.

"It's just the thing," thought Katie, "and kind of partly mine because
it's in our room."

So she took it with her when she went, and it burned her little hand
like fire.

Ethelwyn and Beth were preparing a tea party in the doll house.

"O Katie, how nice!" said Ethelwyn. "We'll put it in the tea party. We
were coming over to get you and Nora to come; there are some beautiful
iced cakes coming up in a minute."

"I can't stay," said Katie feebly, "I feel kind of sick inside."

So saying she rushed home, but it was no use; poor Katie's conscience
grew worse all the time, and presently she came back.

"I--I--know you won't like me any more," she said, red and miserable,
"but it's Nora's plate I gave you, and I'm no better than a thafe."

But Ethelwyn and Beth put their arms around her, and comforted her dear
little sore heart.

"I know just how you feel," said Ethelwyn. "I took mother's gold dragon
stick-pin for my dolly's blanket one day, because I was in a hurry, and
lost it of course, and felt so mizzable, as if nothing could ever be
nice again. Now take the plate and go and get Nora, dear, and we'll have
the best tea party."

And they did, and the guests had each another box of candy for their
"silvernears," besides, but Ethelwyn and Beth ate far too much, and
that's the reason their next day good time began by being a bad time
too.

_CHAPTER XI_
_The Day After_

In the lovely playtime, life seems always gay.
In the sober worktime, sometimes it grows gray.

Mother was superintending the strawberry jam in the kitchen, giving
orders to the grocery boy, and paying Mrs. O'Neal for sewing, all at
once.

You can't do this unless you are a mother, but mothers can do almost
everything at once.

"It's a fortunate thing that the Bible says everybody mustn't work on
Sunday. It says man-servant, maid-servant, cattle, stranger within thy
gates, but nothing at all about mothers, though, because they