Moss, looking at the maid, who just then came in with a pan full of
soot.
"Bless you, ma'am, I never thought of such a thing, nor Katy neither.
That naughty Bab must have done it, and so don't dar'st to show
herself," answered the irate Ronda, whose nice room was in a mess.
"Where is the child?" asked her mother, and a hunt was immediately
instituted by Betty and Sancho, while the elders cleared up.
Anxious Betty searched high and low, called and cried, but all in vain,
and was about to sit down in despair, when Sancho made a bolt into his
new kennel and brought out a shoe with a foot in it, while a doleful
squeal came from the straw within.
"Oh, Bab, how could you do it? Ma was frightened dreadfully," said
Betty, gently tugging at the striped leg, as Sancho poked his head in
for another shoe.
"Is it _all_ burnt up!" demanded a smothered voice from the recesses of
the kennel.
"Only pieces of the roof. Ben and his father put it out, and _I_
helped," answered Betty, cheering up a little as she recalled her noble
exertions.
"What do they do to folks who set houses afire?" asked the voice again.
"I don't know; but you needn't be afraid; there isn't much harm done, I
guess, and Miss Celia will forgive you, she's so good."
"Thorny wont; he calls me a 'botheration,' and I guess I am," mourned
the unseen culprit, with sincere contrition.
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