"Now, how did that happen, I wonder. My goodness, what will Mamma say?"
he teased.
"Phil," the girl half coaxed, but he read a desire for revenge in her
face.
"Jiminy Christmas, don't cry." He puckered up his lips in imitation of
a whimpering girl. "Got enough?"
"Phil," the word rang crossly, "you let me be now."
"All right, cry baby." He loosened his hold on her wrists. "But because
you're such a fraid cat I'll not give you what I brought for you."
"What is it?" The girl scrambled to her feet, curiosity helping her to
forget momentarily the boy's tricks. "What did you bring me?"
"Something that's little and almost round and blue and I got it in a
tree. Now if you're not a blockhead mebbe you can guess what it is."
He moved his hand about in his pocket.
"Phil, let me see." The words were plain coaxing then.
"Here." And he drew from his pocket a robin's egg.
"Philip Reist! Where did you get that?" The girl's voice was stern and
loud.
"Ach, I found the dandiest nest out on one of the cherry trees and I
know you like dinky birds and thought I'd get you an egg. There's three
more in the nest; I guess that's enough for any robin. Anyhow, they had
young ones in that nest early in the summer."
"You bad boy! How dare you rob a bird's nest? God will punish you for
that!" Her eyes blazed with wrath at the thoughtless deed of the lad.
"Ach," he answered boldly, "what's the use fussin' 'bout a dinky bird's
egg? You make me sick, Manda. Cry about it now! Oh, the poor little
birdie lost its egg," he whined in falsetto voice.
"You--you--I guess I won't wait for God to punish you, Philip Reist."
With the words she grabbed and sat him in the water. "You need
something _right now_ to make you remember not to take eggs from
nests. And here it is! When you want to do it after this just think of
the day I sat you down in the crick. I'm goin' to tell Mom on you, too,
that's what I am."
"Yea, tattle-tale, girls are all tattle-tales!"
He struggled to escape but the hold of his sister was vise-like.
"Will you leave nests alone?" she demanded.
"Ah, who wants to steal eggs? I just brought you one 'cause I thought
you'd like it."