hy Mr. Dougherty came tonight."

"We won't either clean it off!" cried Brother angrily. "Serve her right
to clean it off herself; mean old thing!"

"Don't let me hear you talk like that again," said Daddy Morrison
sternly. "Did either of you have anything to do with putting tar on her
porch or walk?"

"No, sir," replied Brother more meekly.

"But did you PLAY with the tar?" asked Mother Morrison. "Mr. Dougherty
told us there were roofers mending the Gillson houses today, and using
hot tar."

"Yes, they gave us some," said Brother honestly enough. "Didn't they,
Betty? All the children had some, and we went by Miss Putnam's house
and she yelled at us."

"But we didn't stop," added Sister. "We went right on and came home,
didn't we, Roddy?"

"Yes," nodded Brother. "And that was before lunch, Daddy."

Daddy Morrison looked troubled.

"If you say you did not throw the tar, I believe you," he said gravely.
"You may get into mischief and do wrong things, but I am sure you do
not tell wrong stories. I don't see how Miss Putnam can be positive
enough to give your names to the police, but I am going around to see
her now and hear what she has to say. Then I'll stop in at the town
hall and see the chief of police."

The telephone rang just then, and he went downstairs. It was only
half-past seven, but Mother Morrison insisted that it was time for them
to get ready for bed.

"Your father doesn't want you to speak of the tar to any of your
playmates," she said as she brushed Sister's hair. "You must be very
careful and not say a word against Miss Putnam. People may make
mistakes easily, and we'll try to think as kindly of her as we can.
Poor old lady! She must be terribly tormented by the children to
dislike them so."

"I wish," wept Sister over her sandals as she unbuckled them, "I wish I
hadn't smashed Jimmie's butterflies. Now he's mad at me."

"Well, you know he has asked you not to play in the barn when he isn't
there to watch you," suggested Mother Morrison mildly. "However, you
can make it up with Jimmie tomorrow; he never holds a grudge."

"Weed the onions for him," advised Brother wisely if sleepily. "He
hates weeding."

"Maybe I will," decided Sister. "Daddy said tonight he couldn't go
swimming again until he had worked in the garden."

CHAPTER XVII

MAKING UP WITH JIMMIE

Daddy Morrison went to see Miss Putnam after the children had gone to
bed. The old lady was very sure that Brother and