gain.

"_Error!_" called out Florence from the other side of the table; "there's
no such word as _ain't_."

This was too much. Dotty had smarted under these cruel blows long enough.
She hastily arose from the table, and rushed out of the room.

"Florence and Percy, you are both very thoughtless," said Mrs. Eastman,
reprovingly.

Mrs. Parlin looked deeply pained, as she always did when her little
daughter gave way to her temper; but she made no allusion to the subject,
and tried to go on with her dinner as if nothing had happened.

Dotty ran into the front yard, threw herself on the ground, and buried
her face in a verbena bed.

There! it wasn't of any use; she couldn't be good; it wouldn't last! When
she had just come home, and had so many things to tell, and supposed
everybody would be glad to see her and hear her talk,--why, Percy and
Florence must just spoil it all by laughing. O, it was too bad!

"I wish I hadn't come! I wish I'd been switched off!" sighed Dotty,
meaning, if she meant anything, that she wished the cars had whirled her
away to the ends of the earth, instead of bringing her home, where people
were all ready with one accord to trample her into the dust.

"Here I've been 'way off, and know how to travel, and keep my ticket in
my glove. Six years old, going on seven. Been down in a coal mine,--Prudy
never'd dare to. Had a jigger cut out of my side. Been to the 'Sylum.
One of the conductors said, 'That's a fine little daughter of yours,
sir.' I heard him. Aunt 'Ria washed all those grease-spots out of my
dress, and I had on a clean ruffle. And then, just 'cause I couldn't say
_coker-whacker_--"

"There, there, don't feel so bad, you precious sister," said a
soothing voice; and a soft cheek was pressed to Dotty's, and a pair of
loving arms clasped her close. "Percy was real too-bad, and so was
Flossy--so there!"

"O, Prudy, I wish they were every one of 'em in the penitential, locked
in, and Johnny too! Me just got home, and never did a single thing to
them! And there they laughed right in my face!"

"But you know, dear, they don't think," said Prudy, who found it unsafe
to sympathize too much with her angry sister; "they never do think; they
don't mean any harm."

"I'll make 'em think!" cried Dotty, fiercely. "I'll scare 'em so they'll
think! I'll take a pumpkin, and I'll take a watermelon, and I'll take--"

"Dear me, Dotty, that is a beautiful ring on your finger. I wish I had
one just li