Have you and David had a--a misunderstanding?"
"We--we don't like each other as--as we used to, Aunt Nancy," said
the girl, lifting her head almost defiantly to look David's mother
full in the eyes.
"Is it David's fault?" asked Mrs. Strong after a moment.
"I--I wish you wouldn't ask me anything more about it. At least,
not now."
"Is it David's fault?" demanded the other once more, insistently.
"I will say this much; it isn't my fault," replied Alix stiffly.
Mrs. Strong smiled,--a tender, loving smile.
"I think I could straighten everything out if David were only
here," she said. "I would take you both across my knee and give you
a good sound spanking. It used to work beautifully when you were
children,--and I think it would work now. I--I wonder if it would
help matters any if I were to spank--No, I'm sure it wouldn't. To
do any good at all David would have to be here to see me spanking
you and to beg me to let you off and give it to him just twice as
hard."
"Oh, Aunt Nancy," cried Alix eagerly, "if you only WOULD! How I
wish I were a little girl again! And David a little boy!"
Then she fled from the room. Nancy Strong put her hand over her
eyes and sighed.
"I wish David were here," she said to herself. "If he were only
here today."
During dinner that evening Alix was strangely repressed. It was
plain to Mrs.
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