re," said aunt Louise, giving each of the children an orange, "now
you may go. Abby, be sure to take good care of Dotty. Don't trust her
out of your sight one minute.--Hark! there's the door-bell. You may go
out of the house by the back-door."

Then Miss Louise hastened from the dining-room, without looking back to
see whether the children obeyed her or not. Dotty was, in general,
prompt to do as she was bidden by older people; but just now both the
children found it hard to leave that tempting table. They dared not
taste the dainties, but Abby thought it could surely do no harm just to
touch them. But when they had gone as far as that, Abby, who was a sly,
half-taught child, grew bolder, and a sudden impulse seized her to
pocket a few sweetmeats, if she could only do so without being seen by
Dotty's keen eyes.

"Come, Dotty Parling," said she, "you just go ask somebody to brush your
hair; it's all over your head."

Dotty sighed as she cast a last glance at the table, and then, without a
word, went up stairs, unwilling to be seen by aunt Martha with her "hair
all over her head."

Then Abby's heart beat fast. She heard voices in the parlor, and knew
that at any moment some one might enter the dining-room, and discover
her. So making a hasty choice of two large pieces of jelly-cake, and
half a dozen tarts, she swept out of the room just in time to escape
meeting grandma Parlin.

Her pocket was stuffed quite full, and one end of a slice of cake peeped
out, though she tried her best to press it down. But Abby had a hope
that no one would notice it through her white apron.

As Dotty's hair was now in fine order, the two children set out on their
walk. They had gone but a few steps when Zip came trotting along, with
all speed, looking up in their faces as if to say, "What have I done,
that I can't go too?"

"Queer what made _him_ want to come," said Abby, tartly.

"He loves his little sister," said Dotty, stroking his nose. "He shall
go, he shall; he's a darling."

The dog kept beside the children, and every now and then Abby secretly
punched him with a stick, while Dotty was patting his head, and chatting
with him.

It was a long way to aunt Martha's, and Abby, besides feeling guilty,
and ashamed of herself, was also very anxious to eat the goodies which
made such a bunch in her pocket. Zip seemed to know there was cake
somewhere, and sniffed about in a way which made her rather nervous.

"Here, let's creep und