So Rollo's mother put down her book and went to help Rollo collect the articles which his father had said he should require. She began to look into her needle book for the needles and thread, while Rollo went for the sand-box. When Rollo came back with the sand-box and the sheet of paper in his hand, he found Nathan with his high chair, at the kitchen door, trying to get in. "What are you doing here, Nathan?" said Rollo. "I want to get my high chair in," he replied. The truth was, that Nathan, having learned from the conversation what was going on, was eager to secure a good seat for himself, and so he was attempting to drag out the high chair which was kept in the parlor for him to sit up to the table in. Rollo, as he happened to feel rather good-natured than otherwise, just then, after putting down his things, helped Nathan get his chair through the door, and placed it up at the kitchen table, which stood out in the middle of the floor. He then went into a closet, and opened a little drawer, where he knew corks were kept, and brought out one or two, selecting the cleanest and softest that he could find. When he came back, he found Nathan, pouring out some black sand, from the sand-box, upon the sheet of paper. "Now, Nathan," exclaimed Rollo, running up to him, and seizing the sand-box, "you are a very naughty boy." And he attempted to take away the sand-box violently. But Nathan, though he knew very well that he was doing wrong, did not seem fully disposed to admit Rollo's authority to set him right by violence. He resisted; and, in the struggle, the table was pushed away, and the water in the saucer spilled over. The water ran along under the sheet of paper. Nathan, seeing the mischief that had been done, was a little frightened, and released his hold. Rollo then took up the paper, which had sand upon the upper side, and water dripping off from the under side, saying, "There, Nathan, now see what you have done!" "I didn't do it," said Nathan. "You did," said Rollo. "I didn't," said Nathan. Hereupon, Jonas came up to the table to see what was the matter. Each of the boys told his story. "Now we are in pretty trouble," said Jonas; "we thought we were going to have a fine lecture; instead of that, there are two boys to be punished, and wet paper to be dried." "Punished?" said Rollo. "Yes," said Jonas, "Nathan for touching the sand-box, and you for touching _him_." "Why, he was pouring out all the sand," said Rollo, "and I was only trying to stop him." "Yes, but you know," said Jonas, "that you had no right to stop him by violence. That always makes the difficulty worse." Here Rollo began to look pretty sober. He knew that he had done what he had very often been forbidden to do. "Now," said Jonas, "we can wait and tell your mother about it, when she comes out, or we can just settle it all among ourselves." "How?" said Rollo, with an anxious look.