e they had been playing before Annie
came; but the interest was quite gone. Their quick-tempered little
guest had been a "_kill-joy_" in spite of her name.

But the afternoon was not over yet. What happened next, I will tell you
in another chapter.

CHAPTER IX.

MORAL COURAGE.

Annie Lovejoy had not been gone fifteen minutes, when there was a sharp
ringing of Mrs. Parlin's doorbell, and a little boy gave Norah the red
scarf of Susy's, and a note for Mrs. Parlin.

Norah suspected they both came from Mrs. Lovejoy, and she could see that
lady from the opposite window, looking toward the house with a very
defiant expression.

Mrs. Parlin opened the note with some surprise, for she had been
engaged with visitors in the parlor, and did not know what had been
going on up stairs.

Whatever Mrs. Lovejoy's other accomplishments might be, she could not
write very elegantly. The ink was hardly dry, and the words were badly
blotted, as well as incorrectly spelled.

"Mrs. Parlin.

"Madam: If my own _doughter_ is a _theif_ and a _lier_, I beg to be
informed. She has no _knowlidg_ of the cake, _whitch_ was so
_dryed_ up, a _begar woold_ not touch it. Will Miss Susan Parlin
come over here, and take back her words?

"SERENA LOVEJOY."

Mrs. Parlin was at a loss to understand this, for she had quite
forgotten the fact, that the children had any cake to use at their play
of housekeeping. She supposed that Susy must have accused Annie of
prying into the china-closet, where the cakes and jellies were kept. She
sent for Susy at once.

"My daughter," said she, in her usual quiet tones, "did you ever have
any reason to suppose that Annie Lovejoy went about meddling with our
things, and peeping into the closets?"

"Why, no, mother," replied Susy, much surprised; "she never saw the
closets, that I know of. Why, mother, what do you mean?"

"Never ate cake, did she, without leave?"

"O, now I know what you mean, mother! Yes'm, she ate some of that
fruit-cake you gave us to play with; and when I told her of it, she got
angry, and said she was going right home, and would tell her mother how
I treated my company; but I don't see how you found that out!"

"Never mind yet how I found it out, my dear. I want to know if you are
sure that Annie ate the cake?"

"Yes, mother: just as certain sure as I can be! You know Dotty can't
reach that high shelf in the nursery-closet, and I can't, without
getti