"No."

"I promised him that I would be over."

"Well, you can't go. You study your lessons, unless you prefer to go
with me to Mrs. Shrader's."

"I don't want to go to her house," said Carl.

Mr. Dudder lost no time in paying Mammy Shrader a visit, and then he
called on Doctor Reed. When he came home again he was very angry.

"Carl, I have a good mind to punish you severely," he said. "I did not
think you would treat a woman as Mrs. Shrader has been treated. I
shall have to pay her doctor's bill and also something more--at least
fifteen or twenty dollars." Mr. Dudder sighed at the thought of
parting with so much cash. "I shall take the amount out of your
spending money, and out of the money I was going to give you for
Christmas"

"Can't I have the five dollars you promised me for Christmas?" gasped
Carl.

"Not a cent of it."

"Oh, you're a mean thing!" burst out Carl, and ran from the room
before his father could stop him.