door. There was nothing to do but
to go out and tease the good-natured kitchen-maid into giving her a huge
slice of bread and butter and sugar. Mary Ann and Martha, the old
servants, would never do it, but the youthful Amanda was more lenient.

"Where's Neal, 'Manda?" asked Janet, as she munched the delicious
portion which was placed before her. They were in the pantry, beyond the
sight of the other maids.

"I don't know. He came a-stalkin' past the kitching windies a little
while ago, an' I heard him run up stairs an' down like a house a-fire,
an' out the front door with a bang."

"Guess he's excited," murmured Janet, with her mouth full; "guess that
must be it. He's gone off mad. We had a fight out in the pasture."

"La, child! What do you mean?"

"Oh, I'm not going to say any more, 'cept me and Neal, we fit a fight in
the pasture. I made him awful mad," with another huge bite.

"La, child, you do beat everything! But there's Mary Ann calling me.
Don't you take a bit more sugar. Now mind!"

But Janet, left to herself in the pantry, made a fine repast.

The family came home to dinner, with the exception of Mr. Franklin and
Edith, and although Neal's absence was commented upon, no one thought
anything of it. He frequently went off for a long day alone on the
river.

When the meal was nearly over and dessert had been placed upon the
table, Janet thought that she would announce what had taken place. She
felt quite important at being the cause of Neal's disappearance.

"Guess Neal's awful mad with me," she said, suddenly. No one paid much
attention. She would try again. "Guess Neal's awful mad with me 'bout
what I said 'bout Aunt Betsey's present."

"What did you say about it?" asked Jack, who sat next to her. There was
a lull in the conversation, and every one heard her reply.

"Oh, I told him to give it to me. I said papa said he took it, and he
could have the gold dollars, but I wanted the funny thing. Why, maybe it
was a doll or a purse or some other nice thing. Course I wanted it. My,
though, Neal was mad!"

"What did you tell him, Janet?" asked Mrs. Franklin, in much
astonishment; "that your father said Neal had taken your present? When
did he say so, and what do you mean?"

"Goody, mamma, you're asking 'most as many questions as Neal did. Guess
you're excited, like he was. I told him papa said he'd taken my present
from Aunt Betsey. The postmaster man said so this morning. And Neal
looked awful que