"When Aunt Jamsiah took me, I was a probator. Do you know what
that means?"

"It's what they do with people's wills," Pee-Wee said.

"It means if I don't behave I have to go back to the orphan home,"
the girl said. "And every day I was afraid I'd have to go back--for a
long, long time, I was. And when I was lying in bed mornings I'd hear
the planks saying that--

You have to go back,
You have to go back.

just like that, and I'd get good and scared."

"You won't have to go back," said Pee-Wee.

"You leave it to me, I'll fix it. Those planks--I've known lots of
planks--and they can't tell the truth. Don't you care. I wouldn't believe
what an old plank said. Trees are all right, but planks--"

"I don't notice it so much now," Pepsy said; "that was a year ago
and Aunt Jamsiah says I'm all right and mind good except I'm a tomboy.
That ain't so bad, is it? Being a tomboy? A girl and me tried to set
the orphan home on fire because they licked us, but I'm good here. But
I wish they'd put a new floor on that bridge. Anyway, Aunt Jamsiah says
I'm good now."

Pee-Wee was about to speak, but noticing that the girl's eyes were