"I reckon we are not 150 yards in a straight line, although the road will, by its turning, make it double the distance." "Then I think this spot will do very well." "I'll just mark out the trees which are to stand, Mr. Seagrave, and those which are to be cut down, so as to leave about four feet of stump standing." As soon as they had planned the building, the axes and saw were in full use, and tree after tree fell one upon the other. They worked hard till dinner-time, and were not sorry at the prospect of sitting down to a rich mess of turtle-soup. "My dear William, and you too, Mr. Seagrave, how very warm you are!" said Mrs. Seagrave; "you must not work so hard." "Cutting down trees is very warm work, mother," replied William, "and hard work will never hurt any one, especially when he dines off turtle-soup. Why, Tommy, what's the matter with you?" "Tommy and I are at variance," replied Mrs. Seagrave. "I had my thimble this morning, and had commenced my sewing, when I was called out by Juno, and Caroline went with me, and Tommy was left in the house. When I came back I found him outside, and on going back to my work, there was no thimble to be found; I asked him if he had touched it, and his answer was that he would look for it. He did look, and said he could not find it; I have asked him several times if he took it away, and his only answer is that he will find it by and by." "Tommy, did you take the thimble?" said Mr. Seagrave, gravely. "I'll find it by and by, papa." "That's not an answer. Did you take the thimble?" "I'll find it by and by, papa," said Tommy, whimpering. "That's all the answer he will give me," said Mrs. Seagrave. "Well, then, he shall have no dinner till the thimble makes its appearance," replied Mr. Seagrave. Master Tommy began to cry at this intelligence. Juno appeared with the turtle-soup; and Tommy cried louder when they had said grace and commenced their dinner. They were all very hungry, and William sent his plate for another portion, which he had not commenced long before he put his finger in his mouth and pulled out something. "Why, mother, here's the thimble in my soup," cried William. "No wonder he said he would find it by and by," said Ready, smiling; "he meant to have fished it up, I suppose, from what was left of the soup after dinner. Well, Mrs. Seagrave, I don't mean to say that Tommy is a good boy, but still, although be would not tell where the thimble was, he has not told a falsehood about it." "No, he has not," replied William. "I think, now that the thimble is found, if he begs pardon, papa will forgive him." "Tommy, come here," said Mr. Seagrave. "Tell me why you put that thimble into the soup?" "I wanted to taste the soup. I wanted to fill the thimble; the soup burnt my fingers, and I let the thimble drop in." "Well, a thimbleful wasn't much, at all events," observed Ready. "And why didn't you tell your mamma where the thimble was?"