or pins."

"That is different. She means what she says. The words are no idle
mockery to her. Every penny she can earn, helps her that much, and she
is truly grateful--"

"And I am truly grateful for my receipt, too! It isn't every man that
would give me one. Old Skinner now--"

"Oh, Peace!"

"But, Gail, dear, I wasn't mocking him. I wanted him to know that I knew
how much that receipt was worth. S'posing he hadn't written it, how
would you have known that I had settled that fuss?"

Gail gave up in despair. She never could argue with this small sister,
who so sadly needed a mother's wisdom to keep her sweet and good; so she
abruptly ended her lecture by gently insisting, "Mr. Hartman deserves
your apology. What if he had made us pay for the damage you did, or had
had you arrested? He was good to let you off with just a licking, Peace,
even if you do think it was hard punishment. If you are going to be a
bad girl, you must expect whippings."

"I don't think he likes me any more. He may chase me home before I can
apologize," suggested the unhappy culprit, with hanging head.

"I guess not," smiled Gail behind her hand. "Try it and see."

"Well," sighed miserable Peace, "I s'pose I must, then."

She reluctantly descended the stairs again, and disappeared down the
path toward the Hartman house, wishing with all her heart that the
ground would swallow her up before she had to meet the enemy. Suddenly a
way out of the dilemma presented itself. She searched hastily through
her pockets for paper and pencil, and folding both among the clutter,
she wrote her apology on a ragged, dirty scrap, and carried it to the
green house, intending to leave it on the doorstep and hurry away, but
as she peered cautiously around the corner of the shed she saw Mrs.
Hartman sitting on the porch, and retreated, murmuring, "Oh, dear, I
s'pose I'll have to say it to him after all. I _might_ pin it to the
barn door, or--maybe 'twould be better if I fastened it beside the
painting. That's what I'll do!"

She stole away to the barn, tacked the paper to the new boards, and was
about to depart when her eyes chanced to fall upon her sprawling
decorations of the previous day; and she halted, horrified at the
glaring scarlet letters. "Mercy! How they look! No wonder Mr. Hartman
gave me such a tre--men--jous switching. The paint is still here. I
will cover it all up."

The big brush did the work this time, and in a brief period a wide,
brilliant