"
"That was just what I told her, over and over, grandma, and over
again. But she's a dreadful naughty girl, Jennie Vance is. If there's
anything bad she can do, she goes right off and does it."
"Hush, my child."
"Yes'm, I won't say any more, _only_ I don't think my mother would
like to have me play with little girls that take money out of
rag-bags."
Dotty drew herself up again in a very stately way.
"Jennie _said_ she was going to buy you a silk dress and so forth; but
she does truly lie so, 'one to another,' that you can't believe her
for certain, not half she says."
Grandma looked over her spectacles and through the window, as if
trying to see what ought to be done.
[Illustration: "YOU CAN'T BELIEVE HER FOR CERTAIN."]
"You did right to tell me this, my child," said she; "but I wish you
to say nothing about it to any one else: will you remember?"
"Yes'm," replied Dotty, trying to read her grandmother's face, and
feeling a little alarmed by its solemnity. "What you going to do,
grandma? Not put Jennie in the lockup--are you? 'Cause if you do--O,
don't you! She said 'twas her sharp eyes, and she didn't mean to
steal, and 'twasn't your pockets, and she promised she'd give me
half--yes, she truly did, grandma.
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