the carriage she scrambled and away they drove towards town.

CHAPTER VIII

TABITHA BEGS PARDON

With the melon resting securely in the cooler at home, Tabitha felt
better, but the weight of her sins was not wholly lifted yet, and she
dreaded to meet the doctor's wife after the encounter she had had with
Jerome the previous day; so the ride through town to the little brown
cottage high on the mountainside overlooking the "flat" was very silent,
and when the doctor lifted her from the carriage at his door, her eyes
wore their frightened look, so pathetic in one so young. He noted the
unchildlike expression on the thin face and felt her trembling in his
arms, but before he could think of anything cheerful to say, Jerome
bounded out of the house and met her half way up the steps with the
impulsive words,

"I was very rude to you yesterday, Tabitha, and I am truly sorry. I was
_all_ to blame and I should have told Miss Brooks so. Won't you be
friends with me now?"

Sincerity rang in his voice and his face was full of contrition.
Tabitha's resentment was wholly conquered and her last fear vanished.
She gravely extended her hand to meet his and the hatchet was buried in
that handclasp.

"Come now and see Mamma. She's lying down because she has been awfully
sick. That's what we came here for, and she is anxious to see you."

The next instant Tabitha stood in the presence of a tiny, white-faced
woman with the most wonderful eyes she had ever seen. They shone like
stars but held the warmth of the sun in their glance, and instinctively
the child recognized in this frail invalid a friend. Without waiting for
the formality of an introduction, without stopping to think of
consequences, Tabitha flew to the couch and dropped down beside it,
crying remorsefully,

"I hit him an awful whack right on the nose, and I _meant_ to. I just
itched to thrash him good. If I'd been a boy I reckon I would have
pitched into him. I nearly drowned him in the water-bucket and wouldn't
say I was sorry. I wasn't then, but I am now. Will--will--will you be
friends with me after all that?"

"Poor little girl, poor little girl," said the weak voice, as the thin
arms clasped her gently around. "Of course I'll be your friend. I am
sorry Jerome teased you. I am afraid he likes to plague folks whenever
he can, but he doesn't mean to be bad. You mustn't pay any attention to
what he says and he will soon get tired of tormenting."

"That's jus