forget the sweetbrier."

"As if I should!" said Roberta. "Mother told me the other day there
was a thick hedge of it at her mother's house when she was a little
girl."



Chapter IV. The engine-burglar.


What was left of the second sheet and the Brunswick black came in
very nicely to make a banner bearing the legend

SHE IS NEARLY WELL THANK YOU

and this was displayed to the Green Dragon about a fortnight after
the arrival of the wonderful hamper. The old gentleman saw it, and
waved a cheerful response from the train. And when this had been
done the children saw that now was the time when they must tell
Mother what they had done when she was ill. And it did not seem
nearly so easy as they had thought it would be. But it had to be
done. And it was done. Mother was extremely angry. She was seldom
angry, and now she was angrier than they had ever known her. This
was horrible. But it was much worse when she suddenly began to cry.
Crying is catching, I believe, like measles and whooping-cough. At
any rate, everyone at once found itself taking part in a crying-
party.

Mother stopped first. She dried her eyes and then she said:--