what you have done--oh!"--and Letty
wrung her little white hands.

"See what _I've_ done?" said John. "I like that, Miss Letty, or Hetty,
or whatever you call yourself; but what's that string round your neck
for?--what's on the end of it, hey?"--and he gave it a rude twitch,
snapped it in two, and picked up a little locket that Letty wore in her
bosom.

"Oh, Master John," said Letty, "give it back, do,--it's all I have to
make me happy now,--my mamma gave it me when she died. She used to wear
it once when she was rich. Oh, Master John, don't, please, take it away
from me."

"Look here! cry-baby," said John, putting the locket in his jacket
pocket, "you never'll see that locket again. I shall say, too, that
_you_ broke all those dishes, and if you contradict it, I'll take that
locket to a police-man, and tell him you stole it. Won't you look
pretty going to jail with your long black curls? Answer me _that_, Miss
Hetty Letty?"

Letty only answered by her sobs.

"What's all this?" said Mrs. Finley, opening the door; "one might as
well try to sleep in Bedlam. Merciful man! who broke all those dishes?
John Madison Harrison Polk! who broke all those dishes, I say?"

"I told her she'd catch it, mother, when you came down," said John;
"see if she dare deny it?"

"Letty," said Mrs. Finley, seizing her by the shoulders and giving her
a shake, "did you break that breakfast set?"

Letty thought of John, and the police-man, and the jail, and was
silent.

"John," said Mrs. Finley, "go bring me your father's horse-whip from
behind the kitchen door."

"Oh, Mrs. Finley," said Letty, growing very white about the mouth, and
trembling violently all over; "don't whip me; my mamma never whipped
me. Oh, mamma--mamma!"

Down came the heavy whip on Letty's fair head and
shoulders;--"There--take that, and that, and that!" said Mrs. Finley,
"and remember that I didn't take you into my house to quarrel with my
children, and break up dishes; and now take yourself up into the dark
garret, and get into bed, and don't you get up till Mr. Finley comes
home to dinner, and let's see if he can manage you."

Letty pushed her hair from before her eyes, and staggered to the door;
then, up the stairs where they told her, into the garret; then, she
groped her way to bed; then, she laid her head on the pillow; but she
didn't cry--no--not even when she thought of her mamma,--the tears
wouldn't come; but her head was very hot, and her hands burni