"Well, you see, Mother, I did know it was awful messy, but that know was in the back of my head, and somehow it slipped away from my memory when the thought that I wanted a witch hat came and pushed it out." "Now, you're trying to be funny, and I want you to talk sensibly." "Yes'm, I am sensible. Honest, the thought about the witch hat was so quick it pushed everything else out of my mind." "Even your sense of duty, and your determination to be a good little girl." "Yes'm; they all flew away, and my whole head was full of how to make the white paper black. And that was the only way I could think of." "Well, have your thoughts that were pushed out come back yet?" "Oh, yes, Mother; they came back as soon as I found myself all inky." "Then, if they've come back, you know you did wrong?" "Yes, I do know it now." "And you know that little girls who do wrong have to be punished?" "Ye-es; I s'pose I know that. How are you going to punish me?" "We must discuss that. _I_ think you deserve a rather severe punishment, for this was really, truly mischief. What do you think of staying home from Gladys' Hallowe'en party as a punishment?" "Oh, Moth-er May-nard! You just _can't_ mean _that_!" "I'm not sure but I do. You _must_ learn, somehow, Midget, that if you do these awful things, you must have awful punishments." "Yes, but to stay home from Gladys' party! Why, those horrid, cruel people in the history book couldn't get up a worse punishment than that! Mother, say you don't mean it!" "I won't decide just now; I'll think it over. Meantime, let's see what we can do toward cleaning you up." The process was an uncomfortable one, and, after Marjorie's poor little face and hands had gone through a course of lemon juice, pumice stone, and other ineffectual obliterators, she felt as if she had had punishment enough. And the final result was a grayish, smeared-looking complexion, very different from her own usual healthy pink and white. Greatly subdued, and fearful of the impending punishment, Marjorie lay on a couch in her mother's room, resting after the strenuous exertions of her scrubbing and scouring. "I do think I'm the very worst child in the whole world," she said, at last. "Isn't it surprising, Mother, that I should be so bad, when you're so sweet and good? Do you think I take after Father?" Mrs. Maynard suppressed a smile. "Wait till Father comes home, and ask him that question," she said. CHAPTER XI THE HALLOWE'EN PARTY Mr. and Mrs. Maynard talked over Marjorie's latest prank, and concluded that it would indeed be too great a punishment to keep her at home from the Hallowe'en party. So her punishment consisted in being kept at home from the Saturday meeting of the Jinks Club. This was indeed a deprivation, as the members of the club were to plan games for the party, but still it was an easier fate to bear than absence from the great event itself.