New Britain herald., 1916-07-08
What DiCky Said When He Discovered That Grace Draper Had Un-
 expeCtedly Returned.

fkptuFucu. "I say Madge, what 8 ripping day for tramp! Suppose we go down to the harbor and either walk or row around the slips. I'll put some fish lines in my pocket so if you get mad desire to hang over the side or the boat you may. We can get corking fish dinner at Shafer's, that little dump near the oyster houses IT we stop on our way and tell them we want it. What do you say?' 1T should like it very much" I re- piled. trying hard to make my voice enthusiastic But do you think we ought to leave your mother alone so often? We haven't taken her with us for several trips"
 Dicky looked at me shrewdly Why the sudden solicitude for mother?' he asked ironically. Then, es he saw my face flush, he added hastily: Don't be offended, sweet heart, I realize that you are always thoughtful of her, but it struck me that you were not particularly keen for this trip yourself, and mother made a good excuse"
 Please don't be absurd, Dicky,'' I retorted lightly. "Of course I want to go. How soon do you want to start?''
 Any time you're ready"
 'IlI be down in fifteen minutes" I promised.
 It took me less than that to get into the simple tramping costume l had. a lightweight short skirt, a silk sports waist, and strong walking shoes with common sense heels. I picked up the silk sweater which I invariably took On those trips of ours and went slowly down the stairs.
 Madge's Earliest Memory.
 could not understand my own re- luctance to go with Dicky. But the vest with which I had enjoyed the earlier outings of the summer seemed to have left me- AS I looked back I could see that the incident of the stolen puppy which Dicky had brought i.1e had marked the end of the care free happy days which had been mine since Grace Draper had taken her de- parture.
 One of the most rigid tenets of my life is my hatred of anything savoring cf dishonesty. The earliest remem- Orance I have of my mother is the memory of her face when she found cut that I had picked a blackberry from neighbours bush. I can see her now as she took me by the hand and led me over to the owner of the bush, a dear old woman, who smiled down reassuringly at me.
 Why, Mrs. Spencer, the child can have all the berries she wishes," she cried.
 My mother put up her hand. No, Mrs. Hillman, don't say that she said solemnly. When you call her and give them to her, yes, but she has st olen this berry, and she wishes to tell you she is sorry.'
 An Unexpected Meeting.
 The humiliation of that moment is fresh in my memory, and shall never forget my mothers tear-wet face afterward as she explained before an absurdly mild slippering how sorry she was to have to punish me, how terrible a crime theft was.
 According to the child training cipline was unnecessarily severe, but l T do not think that from that day l to this I ever have taken anything that was not my own. And when I | see children breaking off flowers 1 which they have not been given per mission to pick, and bothering trades 1 pen by abstracting fruit and crackers | and anything they see loose, I wish 1 their mothers had been as strict as mine.
 But the incident of the stolen puppy