Illustration: "WELL, MY INVICE IS DIS."]

The children went at once to the library, where Major Waldron was
found reading.

"Papa," said Diddie, "we've ben very bad, an' we've come ter tell yer
'bout it."

"An' the Jay Bird, he tol' the deb'l," put in Dumps, "an' 'twan't none
er his business."

"Hush up, Dumps," said Diddie, "till I tell papa 'bout it. I wouldn't
say my lesson, papa, an' Miss Carrie locked me up, an' the chil'en
brought me my dinner."

"'Tuz me," chimed in Tot. "I b'ing 'er de _besses_ dinner--take an' jam
an' pud'n in de p'ate. Aunt Mawy durn turn me."

"Hush, Tot," said Diddie, "till I get through. An' then, papa, I climbed
out the winder on the step-ladder, an' I--"

"Dilsey an' Chris got the ladder," put in Dumps.

"HUSH UP, Dumps!" said Diddie; "you're all time 'ruptin' me."

"I reckon I done jes bad ez you," retorted Dumps, "an' I got jes much
right ter tell 'boutn it. You think nobody can't be bad but yerse'f.'

"Well, then, you can tell it all," said Diddie, with dignity. "Papa,
Dumps will tell you."

And Dumps, nothing daunted, continued:

"Dilsey an' Chris brought the step-ladder, an' Diddie clum out; an' we
runned erway in the woods, an' waded in the ditch, an' got all muddy
up; an' the Jay Bird, he was settin' on er limb watchin' us, an' he
carried the news ter the deb'l; an' Uncle Snake-bit Bob let us go ter
his shop, an' tol' us 'bout the Woodpecker's head, an' that's all; only
we ain't n-e-v-er goin' ter do it no mo'; an', oh yes, I furgot--an'
Diddie's rael sorry an' right 'pents; an' I'm sorter sorry, an'
toler'ble 'pents. An', please, are you mad, papa?"

"It was certainly very wrong," said her father, "to help Diddie to get
out, when Miss Carrie had locked her in; and I am surprised that Diddie
should need to be kept in. Why didn't you learn your lesson, my
daughter?"

"I did," answered Diddie; "I knew it every word; but Miss Carrie jus'
cut up, an' wouldn't let me say it like 'twas in the book; an' she
laughed at me; an' then I got mad, an' wouldn't say it at all."

"Which lesson was it?" asked Major Waldron.

"'Twas er hist'ry lesson, an' the question was, 'Who was Columbus?' an'
the answer was, 'He was the son of er extinguished alligator;' an' Miss
Carrie laughed, an' said that wan't it."

"And I rather think Miss Carrie was right," said the father. "Go and
bring me the book."

Diddie soon returned with her little history, and, showing the passage
to her fa