playmates are bad enough, but this was far worse."

"I understand, Mother, now that you've explained it; but, truly, I
didn't mean to do anything so awfully dreadful. How are you going to
punish me?"

"Mrs. Harrison was very forgiving, and begged me not to punish you
severely. But I think you deserve a pretty hard penance; don't you?"

"Why, the way you tell me about it, I think I do. But the way I meant
it, seems so different."

"Well, I've thought it over, and I've decided on this. You dislike to
sew; don't you?"

"Yes, I do!" said Marjorie, emphatically.

"I know you do. But I think you ought to learn to sew, and, moreover, I
think this would be an appropriate thing to do. I want you to make a
little dress for Totty. I will do the more difficult parts, such as
putting it together, but you must run the tucks, and hem it, and
overhand the seams. And it must be done very neatly, as all babies'
dresses should be dainty and fine. You may work half an hour on it every
day, and, when it is finished, it will be a pretty little gift for Mrs.
Harrison, and it will also teach you something of an old-fashioned but
useful art."

Marjorie drew a deep sigh. "All right, Mother. I'll try to do it nicely;
but oh, how I hate a thimble! I never again will mix up people's
babies. But I didn't think it was such an awful, dreadful thing to do."

"You're a strange child, Midget," said her mother, looking at her
thoughtfully. "I never know what you're going to do next."

"I never know myself," said Marjorie, cheerfully, "but you can always
punish me, you know."

"But I don't want to. I want you to behave so you won't need
punishment."

"I'll try real hard," said Midge, as she kissed her mother, again and
again.

CHAPTER XIV

A NOBLE SOCIETY

The Jinks Club was having its weekly meeting, and all of the members
were present.

"I think," the President was saying, "that we ought to do something
that's of some use. It's all very well to cut up jinks to have fun, and
we did have a lot of fun on the straw ride last week; but I mean we
ought to do some real good in the world."

"But how could we, King?" said Marjorie, looking at her brother in awe.

"There are lots of ways!" declared King. "We might do something
public-spirited or charitable."

"I think so, too," said Dick Fulton. "My father was talking last night
about the selfishness of citizens."

"Goodness, Dick," said his sister, "we're not citizens!"

"Yes,