ody
thinks she must follow, of course."

"Yes, that's the way it is," said Susy. "Some folks are always round,
you know."

"Now, Susy," said Prudy, forcing back her tears as well as she could,
"I guess you don't love your little sister, or you wouldn't talk that
way to me."

They gathered strawberries for a while in silence, Prudy picking more
leaves than berries, and sometimes, in her haste to keep up with the
others, pulling up grass by the roots.

"Well, I don't think much of this," said Grace; "there ain't more than
ten strawberries in this meadow, and those ain't bigger than peas."

"O, I know it," said Susy, in the tone of one who has made up her mind
for the worst. "I suppose we've got to stay here, though. We could go
up in the Pines now if it wasn't for Prudy, and they are real thick up
there."

"Yes," said Grace, "but grandma knew we couldn't without she would be
sure to follow. Do you think Mr. Judkins would be likely to scold,
Susy?"

"No, indeed," said Susy, eating a dry strawberry. "He keeps sheep, and
goes round talking to himself. I ain't a bit afraid of him. What could
we little girls do to his grass, I'd like to know? It isn't as if we
were great, rude boys, is it, Grace?"

"No," said Grace, thoughtfully. "Now if we could only get rid of
Prudy----"

Little Prudy pushed back her "shaker," and looked up, showing a pair
of flushed cheeks damp with tears.

"I don't think you are very polite to me," said the child. "Bime-by I
shall go to heaven, and I shan't never come back any more, and then I
guess you'll cry."

"What shall we do?" said Grace, looking at Susy; "we mustn't take her,
and we can't go without her."

"Well, I'm a-goin' right straight home, right off--that's what I'm
goin' to do," said Prudy, "and when I say my prayers, I shall just
tell God how naughty you be!"

Prudy turned short about, and the girls went toward the Pines, feeling
far from happy, for a "still, small voice" told them they were doing
wrong.

They had got about half way up the hill, when, looking back, there was
Prudy, puffing and running for dear life.

"I thought you had gone home," said Susy, quite vexed.

"Well, I didn't," said Prudy, who had got her smiles all back again;
"I couldn't get home--'cause--I got my feet 'most damp and some wet. I
won't be no trouble, Susy."

So the girls made the best of it, and helped little "Mother Bunch" up
the long, steep hill. Prudy had one hearty cry before the lon