"You'll not get back till late. Perhaps you'd better stay all night with some of the girls that live near the ferry-landing, child."

     "Then I'll stay with Susy Harper, mamma."

     "Very well. And mind and behave yourself and don't be any trouble."

     Presently, as they tripped along, Tom said to Becky:

     "Say--I'll tell you what we'll do. 'Stead of going to Joe Harper's we'll climb right up the hill and stop at the Widow Douglas'. She'll have ice-cream! She has it most every day--dead loads of it. And she'll be awful glad to have us."

     "Oh, that will be fun!"

     Then Becky reflected a moment and said:

     "But what will mamma say?"

     "How'll she ever know?"

     The girl turned the idea over in her mind, and said reluctantly:

     "I reckon it's wrong--but--"