"She said thousands wouldn't repair the damage," moaned he.
"You can't make me believe those mean little wooden tricks are worth any
thousand dollars!" volleyed Peggy; nevertheless, her heart beat
faster,--grown people are so queer. "Are you sure she meant _them_?
Maybe it was those things in the next glass case; they're her own
things! They're some kind of Chinese china and cost a heap." Peggy's
sturdy womanly wits were rising from the shock.
"And the show-case is broked!" sniffed Johnny-Ivan, gulping down a sob.
"It ain't broke, it's only cracked; 'sides, it was cracked a right smart
befo'!"
"But this was a new place--I know, 'cause I cut my finger on the other,
scraping it over."
"Well, anyhow, I reckon it didn't be much value," Peggy insisted.
"I saw that young lady come back,"--Johnny-Ivan had switched on to a new
track leading to grisly possibilities--"maybe _she'll_ find it!"
"Well, we're gone, all right."
Peggy gave an unprincipled giggle; "Maybe she'll think it was _him_."
"Then we _got_ to tell," moaned Johnny.
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