'
'Laws, missis, I took Miss Eva's red thing she wears on her neck.'
'You did, you naughty child! Well, what else?'
'I took Rosa's ear-rings--them red ones.'
'Go and bring them to me this minute--both of them.'
'Laws, missis, I can't--they's burnt up.'
'Burnt up? What a story! Go and get them, or I shall whip you.'
Topsy began to cry and groan, and declare that she could not. 'They's
burnt up, they is.'
'What did you burn them up for?' asked Miss Ophelia.
'Cause I's wicked, I is. I's mighty wicked, anyhow. I can't help it.'
Just at this minute Eva came into the room wearing her coral necklace.
'Why, Eva, where did you get your necklace?' said Miss Ophelia.
'Get it? Why, I have had it on all day,' answered Eva, rather surprised.
'And what is funny, aunty, I had it on all night too. I forgot to take
it off when I went to bed.'
Miss Ophelia looked perfectly astonished. She was more astonished still
when, next minute, Rosa, who was one of the housemaids, came in with a
basket of clean clothes, wearing her coral ear-rings as usual.
I'm sure I don't know what to do with such a child,' she said, in
despair. 'What in the world made you tell me you took those things,
Topsy?'
'Why, missis said I must 'fess. I couldn't think of nothing else to
'fess,' said Topsy, wiping her eyes.
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