‘I dare say. She――she says a great many things that aren’t so,’ sighed Mrs. Liscomb. ‘Sometimes I call them just plain, out-and-out lies, but her father says it isn’t that; he says she’s got too much imagination. She reads an awful lot of trashy books, and just recently she’s gone perfectly insane about moving-picture shows. Mr. Liscomb says she’ll get over it as she grows older, but I don’t know. Seems to me she gets worse instead of better.’ Mrs. Liscomb paused and sighed discouragedly. Pud pursed his lips and then said judicially: ‘Well, she certainly is a pretty good imaginater, ma’am!’ ‘I do hope it’s no more than that,’ was the troubled reply. ‘She says she’s “playing a rôle,” whatever that means; something she’s picked up from those moving pictures, I suspect. She’s just about wore me out. I did think when she went down-river with her pa and her Uncle Asa I’d have a minute’s peace. She was wild to go, and while they didn’t want her, I guess, they took her along because she’s a real handy cook. They were going fishing and shooting for a week, you know.’ ‘Yes’m,’ said Pud. ‘Were those men her father and uncle?’ ‘Yes, and of course they were dreadfully upset when Tibbie ran off like that in a strange boat, and they spent hours going up and down the river looking for her, and then they came back here about midnight to see if she’d come home. Mr. Liscomb says he’s going to whip her when he gets her, but I don’t suppose he will. He’s always saying that, but he never does it.’ Pud stared into the sunlight as one who sees a vision. ‘I guess,’ he said earnestly, ‘whipping’s awfully good for children sometimes.’ ‘Well, I don’t know. Mr. Liscomb will be back very soon. He went to telephone to some folks who live down the river a piece. He thought it might be that Tibbie had gone there. Now don’t you hurry away. Mr. Liscomb will want to thank you for taking such good care of her!’ But Pud was already on his feet and moving anxiously toward the steps, and Tim was very close behind him. ‘Yes’m,’ replied Pud hurriedly, ‘but it wasn’t anything, and we’ve got to be going now. I――we’re awfully sorry we let her fool us, ma’am, and didn’t know about them being her father and uncle, because if we had known we wouldn’t have done it, of course, and I’d like you to tell him so, if you please. And I guess we’d better be going on now!’ ‘Well, I’m sure I’m much obliged to you,’ said Mrs. Liscomb heartily, as she shook hands with each. ‘And I know Tibbie is, too. Or, if she isn’t, she ought to be. I guess she’ll be right ashamed of herself, too.’ ‘Yes’m,’ agreed Pud, his gaze fixed uneasily in the direction of the business section. ‘Yes’m. Well, that’s all right. We were glad to do it――I mean――Well, good-morning, ma’am!’