96 
VISIT TO JACK SHORT. 
over, and Aunt Louisa had prepared a cer¬ 
tain basket, they slipped off very quietly, 
without even bidding Kate good-morning,— 
an omission for which they were duly called 
to account in the evening by Annie, who 
declared that she never saw any thing like 
it,—though she must have seen a number of 
things very similar. The fact was, that 
Richard and Sidney were going to the saw¬ 
mill to see Jack Short; and, as they had 
not the least idea what sort of reception 
they were likely to meet with, they thought 
it best to say nothing of their intention till 
afterwards. The boys had talked the mat¬ 
ter over the night before, and agreed that 
the best way of doing Jack good, or, at least, 
showing him that they bore no malice, was 
to go at once and see him, without waiting 
till the family sent up to The Meadows, as 
they were pretty sure to do in the end. At 
first Sidney did not like the idea of going. 
He was still very angry at Jack whenever 
he thought of the kitten or saw the red 
scar on Richard’s fair forehead; though this 
feeling gave way a little when he remem¬ 
bered the poor hoy’s sufferings. He thought 
it would he better to wait and let Jack say 
