eived with great rejoicing, and the twins had
to relieve their feelings by banging on the dining-room gong till
Norah descended on them and confiscated the padded stick. But Bobby
was rather sober through all the noise, and presently Mother Blossom
perceived this.

"I don't think it's fair to tell," said Bobby, when she questioned
him. "I'll get Tim Roon into trouble, and Charlie Black, too. Course
I'd like Miss Mason to know I didn't do it, but I hate to make such a
fuss."

"Isn't he silly, Mother?" demanded Meg. "If you don't tell, Bobby
Blossom, I'm going to school before you're up and tell every one I
meet."

"Now, Meg!" remonstrated Mother Blossom. "This is Bobby's affair,
remember. But, Son, you shouldn't feel as you do. Every one who
heard that you were accused of spoiling the book has a right to know
that you have been absolved. I will write Miss Mason a note and
explain it fully, and then Tim and Charlie will have to take the
consequences. Any boy that will stand aside and let another be
unjustly accused deserves whatever he gets."

Mother Blossom's cheeks were quite pink and her blue eyes had little
sparks in them, just as Bobby's did sometimes when he was angry.

"Mother is right," declared Father Blossom, who had come home early
and had heard the story from Aunt Polly, Meg, the twins, and Norah
before he had taken off his overcoat. "Don't fret about Tim and
Charlie--those young scamps need a couple of interviews with Mr.
Carter if they are not to grow up utterly reckless."

So the next morning Bobby carried a note to Miss Mason, and when she
had read it she actually hugged him and begged his pardon as simply as
if he had been a grown-up friend. She wanted to tell the whole class
how mistaken she had been, but Bobby nearly fainted at the thought
and begged her not to.

"I'll tell them one by one, then," announced Miss Mason, who, it
seemed, could not do enough to make up for her unkindness.

Before the morning session was called nearly every child in the room
knew that Bobby Blossom had not touched Miss Mason's book but that Tim
Roon was the culprit. Tim and Charlie had been sent down to the
principal's office by Miss Mason before assembly, and Miss Wright had
telephoned for Mr. Carter. He came over at once, and Tim and Charlie
spent an unhappy hour with him.

"You're both cowards," he told them hotly. "I'd have you up before the
class to confess your underhanded scheme if I didn't know that it
w