k.

"Strawberrying, did you say?" asked Mrs. Parlin, presently.

"Yes, grandma; the berries are just as thick."

"O, just as fick!" repeated Katie, clapping her hands.

"In the Crossman orchard," added Dotty.

"Prosser Horcher," put in Katie, choking a little at the large words.
"May her, gamma?"

Now, Dotty knew, as her grandmother did not, that there were two
orchards; and the one she meant was a mile and a half away.

"Yes, you may go, Alice; it is only a few steps; but put on an old
dress, and don't stay late; you know you are hardly well since your sore
throat."

Dotty had not actually told a wrong story, but for almost the first time
she had deceived, and she knew the sin was the same. While she was
exchanging her pretty pink frock for one of dark calico, her conscience
pricked so painfully that she almost wished to stay at home.

"Just as soon as we get out of the village," said Jennie, "I'm going
barefoot; mother said I might."

"How splendid your mother is!" sighed Dotty. "Grandma's so particular!
But any way I'm going without my stockings; I declare I will. My
throat's so far away from my feet, what hurt will it do?"

"Children, obey your parents," said the troublesome voice.

"Grandma isn't my parent," thought Dotty, tugging away at her
boot-lacings. They went out through the kitchen, to get Dotty's red and
white picnic basket; but they crept like a pair of thieves, lest Ruthie,
who was mixing waffles, should hear them, and take notice of Dotty's
bare ankles.

Once out of the village, it did not take long for Miss Dimple to slip
off her boots and tuck them in her pocket.

"O, how nice and cool!" murmured she, poking her little pink toes into
the burning sand; till presently, a thorn, which appeared to be waiting
for that very purpose, thrust its way deep into her foot. She sat down
in the middle of the road and screamed. Jennie tried her best to draw
out the thorn, but only succeeded in breaking it off. Then, with a
clumsy pin, she made a voyage of discovery round and round in the soft
flesh of Dotty's foot, never hitting the thorn, or coming anywhere near
it.

"O, dear!" said Jennie, petulantly; "we've wasted half an hour! What's
the use for you to be always getting into trouble? A great many berries
we shall have at this rate! and I was going to ask my mamma to let me
have a party."

"There!" said Dotty, bravely, "I'm going right along now, and no more
fuss about it."

It was hard wor