candy on the closet shelf. And there hung the
strap. He wondered if it would hurt very much? The babies looked too
tempting. So he began to strap them and enjoyed the howling. He was
just going to leave off when Aunt Florence flew into the room.

"Oh, Jack, you cruel, wicked boy!" Then she seized the strap and he
soon had an opportunity to known how much it hurt.

"Marilla! Marilla!" she called.

"Oh, Miss Florence, something dreadful has happened to Aunt Hetty, and
I'm fast with her."

She came up. "Oh, she looks as if she was dying or dead. Let's put her
on the lounge and you go for Bridget."

"What is the matter with the children."

"Oh, go, quick! I'll tell you afterward."

The child summoned Bridget and just ran in to comfort and kiss the
babies.

"Oh, Jack, you never--oh, look at their poor little hands! You bad,
wicked boy!"

"If you say much, I'll give you some----"

Marilla snatched at the strap and flung it upon a high shelf. Jack
wiped his eyes and went out to play. Marilla ran upstairs again. They
were fanning Aunt Hetty and bathing her face and head.

"Marilla, will you go to the parlor and ask that lady to come up
here,--Mrs. Henderson. Bridget thinks--oh, and we ought to have a
doctor! I must telephone."

"And then can I stay with the babies?"

"Yes, yes."

"Poor babies!" Marilla fairly stopped them with witch hazel. Their
little fat hands and their shoulders were swollen already. She kissed
them, but she couldn't take them both and they wanted to be cuddled.
So she sat down and hugged them and really cried herself.

Bridget came down, "She isn't dead but she's a mighty hard faint on
her. And what happened to the children?"

Marilla explained in a broken voice.

"Oh, the murtherin' little devil! You take one and I'll comfort
'tother. But you can't lift her."

No; Marilla couldn't lift such a dead weight. Bridget walked the floor
and patted Pansy and crooned over her, but the hurt was pretty deep.

Aunt Florence came down.

"She's over the faint. Mrs. Henderson is going to stay a while. Oh,
poor babies!"

"I must look after my meat or it'll burn," and she gave the baby to
Miss Florence.

"I'll sit in the rocking chair and you put her in my lap, I think
she's hurt more than Violet. You see, I ran upstairs when Miss Hetty's
bell rang, and she fell on my shoulder, and I never thought----"

"I gave it to him good, and his father'll finish him tonight. Oh,
dear! Well, there comes