Chapter Two

by Sallie Chester
Edited by Amber Moeller

"Nonsense!" said Lizzie, tossing up her head when Bobby and Gracie asked her. "It's all folderol and humbug."

They had been to the school, seen Miss Perry, got Lizzie, and were on their way home.

Lizzie threw back her straight black hair, opened her big black eyes as far as possible, turned up her nose, smiled in a very wise way, and said, "Children!"

"What?" said Bobby.

"What?" said Gracie.

"You musn't believe all that you read in books," said Lizzie. "Nor in newspapers, either, for that matter. Books are just made up out of people's heads, you know; and newspapers--they pretend to be true, and tell lies."

"The 'Evangelist'?" asked Gracie.

"And the 'Observer'?" asked Bobby.

"And Sunday-school books?" asked Gracie.

"Well, I do s'pose there's a difference," said Lizzie. "But after all, there are not any reading words very true--'specially in story books."

Lizzie spoke in such a positive way and looked so full of wisdom, that Gracie and Bobby felt obliged to believe her.

"For my part," said Lizzie, "I never did believe that Sunday-breakers got killed every time."

Bobby and Gracie had neither of them a word to say.

"I've a mind to 'speriment," said Lizzie. And as she said it she shut her little teeth together very hard, and a sort of light came into her eyes that frightened Bobby and Gracie. They knew the meaning of Lizzie's word "speriment" very well indeed. It was the word she used to tell people that she was going to be naughty and get into trouble.

"The only way to find out about things is to speriment," said Lizzie. "You never know till you try."

"Lizzie, dast you speriment," said Bobby, really frightened.

"I dast do anything!" said Lizzie proudly.

"Dast climb a plum-tree Sunday?"

"Yes," said Lizzie.

"Oh, but how wicked you'd be, Lizzie Swallow!" cried Gracie.

"I ain't going to do it to be wicked," said Lizzie. "I'm just going to do it to find out if books are honest or true. And Bobby, if you tell mamma or papa, I'll pay you," said Lizzie. "I know Gracie won't tell."

"If it isn't wicked, and if you'll let me see you speriment, I'll make a promise not to tell nobody."

"All right," said Lizzie. "Criss-cross your heart."

Bobby criss-crossed his jacket in the place where he thought he felt a heart thumping, and their bargain was made. By that time they were within sight of home.

"I'm awfully glad mamma sent for me," said Lizzie, dancing along. "I like our kitchen ten times better than that old schoolroom, and it's enough more fun to work than to study."

Mamma was very glad to see Lizzie's big eyes shining through the kitchen doorway, for young as Lizzie was she was a little woman in her helpful ways.

"You'll see if I can't do as much as Norah, Mrs. Mamma!" said Lizzie, nodding her head.

"And then you are all going to help me in another way, today," said mamma, "by being just as good as you possibly can. If I don't have a bit of worry about you, my heart will be as light as a feather, and you will see if I can't do as much as two Norahs, Miss Lizzie."

"I won't do anything but good things today if you won't, Bob and Gracie," shouted Lizzie. "Let's see who can be best today, will you?"

Bobby and Gracie agreed.

"And whoever is shall be called mamma's best helper," said Lizzie.

And then she rolled up her sleeves and attacked the dishes in the pan.

She was a happy-hearted little creature, and as her nimble fingers flew among the cups and saucers, her voice went singing up on such a high key that everybody in the parlor heard her.

"Hush, Lizzie, darling," said mamma. "Mrs. Webster and Miss Ellen think it's dreadful for children to be noisy."

Lizzie stopped at once, for she loved her mamma so much that she never wanted to disobey her; but she made up her mind that she and the Websters must be enemies for ever, for Lizzie could not approve of people who objected to the noise of children.

To be continued ...

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