and abominate me all the rest of your life, and everybody will, and I
deserve it. For I stole those apples myself. That is, I made Connie
go and get them for me. She didn't want to. She begged not to. But I
made her. She didn't eat one of them,--I did it. And she felt very
badly about it. Oh, Prudence, you can do anything in the world to
me,--I don't care how horrible it is; I only hope you will. But,
Prudence, you won't let Carol know, will you? Oh, spare me that,
Prudence, please. That's my last request, that you keep it from Carol."

Prudence was surprised and puzzled. She drew the note from her pocket,
and gave it to Lark. "Carol gave me that before she went to school,"
she explained. "Read it, and tell me what you are driving at. I think
you are both crazy. Or maybe you are just trying to shield poor
Connie."

Lark read Carol's note, and gasped, and--burst out laughing! The
shame, and bitter weeping, and nervousness, had rendered her
hysterical, and now she laughed and cried until Prudence was alarmed
again.

In time, however, Lark was able to explain. "We both did it," she
gasped, "the Skull and Crossbones. And we both told the truth about
it. We made her go and get them for us, and we ate them, and she
didn't want to go. I advised Carol not to tell, and she advised me not
to. All the way to school this morning, we kept advising each other
not to say a word about it. But I intended all the time to pretend I
was sick, so I could come and confess alone. I wanted to take the
punishment for both of us, so Carol could get out. I guess that's what
she thought, too. Bless her little old heart, as if I'd let her he
punished for my fault. And it was mostly my fault, too, Prue, for I