ok with Ruby in
mischief the very first thing; and yet what can I do but tell you about
it? for it is very probable that if she had not been in this particular
piece of mischief, this story would never have been written. "Nobody
but Ruby would ever have thought of such a thing," Ann exclaimed, when
it was discovered, and it really did seem as if Ruby thought of naughty
things to do that would never have entered any one else's head.

Ruby had certainly been having one of her "bad streaks," as Nora called
her particularly mischievous times, and perhaps this was because Ruby
had been left to herself more than she had ever been in all her life
before.

Mamma was sick, and she was only able to have Ruby come into her room
when the little girl was willing to be very quiet and move about
gently, so as not to disturb her; and she knew very little of what Ruby
was about in the long hours which she spent in play.

All summer Ruby had been running wild, coming into the house only to
eat her meals, or towards evening nestling down beside mamma, to talk
to her for a little while about what she had been doing all day. I am
afraid it was not very often that Ruby told her of the many things she
had been doing of which she knew mamma would not approve at all.

When Ruby went over to Mrs. Warren's house to visit Ruthy, Mrs. Warren
tried to have her do as she wished her own little girl to do, but she
found it a very much harder matter to govern quick-tempered, impulsive
Ruby than it was to guide her own gentle little daughter, and she often
sighed as she thought how distressed Ruby's mamma would be if she knew
how self-willed and mischievous her little daughter was growing without
her mother's care.

Ruby's papa was very busy with his patients, and when he was at home he
spent most of his time in the invalid's room, so he did not have any
idea how much the little girl needed some one to look after her, and
see that she did not get into mischief.

Ann did her best to take care of Ruby, but she had more work to do than
usual, so she had very little time to keep watch of the little girl;
and besides, Ruby would not mind Ann unless she said she would tell Dr.
Harper if Ruby was naughty, and Ann did not like to complain of Ruby if
she could help it.

Altogether you can see that Ruby had a pretty good opportunity to be
just as naughty as she wanted to be; and every day it did seem as if
she thought of more mischievous things to do tha