that Prudy had
forgotten it, by any means; but the next Saturday she had visitors, and
the following Wednesday an exciting event occurred. It concerned Susy's
pony. Percy Eastman said he was called Wings "because he hadn't any
feet." Susy was vexed at this remark, and Prudy, taking her part, said,
"Percy is such a _pert_ boy;" adding next moment, "What _is_ pert?"

But Percy only meant that the pony sadly needed some new shoes; and
this was very true.

Now it happened that Mr. Parlin, being too busy to go himself, sent Eddy
Johnson and Charley Piper with Wings to the blacksmith's shop. It seemed
to Susy that the boys were gone a long while, for it was Wednesday
afternoon, and she was impatient for a ride. She sat down to practise a
little, but her mind was out of doors, and the unwilling piano seemed
crying out to be let alone.

"I can't play," said Susy, decidedly; "and that's the truth."

At that moment a sweet little voice was heard, singing, "John's Brown
buddy;" and Dotty Dimple's head and shoulders were thrust into the
room.

"I've broked it," said she; "I've broked it all to smash."

"Broke what, for pity's sakes?"

"Your teapot," replied Dotty, in a very cheerful voice.

"O, I never did, in all my life, see such a child," wailed Susy. "What
made you go and meddle with my dear little gold-edged tea-set?"

Dotty looked like an injured lamb, brushed the wayward hair out of her
eyes, and gazed wistfully into her sister's face.

"Is I your little comfort, Susy? Is I your little comfort?"

"No," cried Susy, wavering between a smile and a tear; "no, indeed! To
think of _your_ being a comfort! O, my stars!"

"Well, then," continued the little one, in a soothing, cooing tone,
"then I never broked it; it broked itself!"

So saying, she produced from the depths of her pocket the fragments of
the gilt-edged toy. They were past the healing power even of Spalding's
glue, that was certain. At the painful sight, poor Susy's patience flew
into as many pieces as the teapot.

"O, you naughty, naughty thing, to say it broke itself!"

"Then it didn't," replied the little culprit, not a whit dismayed. "Then
'twas Prudy. We was playing 'thimble-coop.' _She_ broked it all to
smash!"

"O, mother," said Susy, running out to the kitchen; "Dotty's making up
fibs as fast as she can speak! You'll have to shut her up in the
closet."

"Not so fast, my dear. Let us wait till we hear both sides of the
story."

And, as it