Nat looked up from the nuts he was picking , and Mrs. Jo smiled at him , guessing what was in his mind . `` Miss Crane kept a school for boys in a quiet little town , and a very good school it was , of the old-fashioned sort . Six boys lived in her house , and four or five more came in from the town . Among those who lived with her was one named Lewis White . Lewis was not a bad boy , but rather timid , and now and then he told a lie . One day a neighbor sent Miss Crane a basket of gooseberries . There were not enough to go round , so kind Miss Crane , who liked to please her boys , went to work and made a dozen nice little gooseberry tarts . '' `` I 'd like to try gooseberry tarts . I wonder if she made them as I do my raspberry ones , '' said Daisy , whose interest in cooking had lately revived . `` Hush , '' said Nat , tucking a plump pop-corn into her mouth to silence her , for he felt a particular interest in this tale , and thought it opened well . `` When the tarts were done , Miss Crane put them away in the best parlor closet , and said not a word about them , for she wanted to surprise the boys at tea-time . When the minute came and all were seated at table , she went to get her tarts , but came back looking much troubled , for what do you think had happened ? '' `` Somebody had hooked them ! '' cried Ned . `` No , there they were , but some one had stolen all the fruit out of them by lifting up the upper crust and then putting it down after the gooseberry had been scraped out . '' `` What a mean trick ! '' and Nan looked at Tommy , as if to imply that he would do the same . `` When she told the boys her plan and showed them the poor little patties all robbed of their sweetness , the boys were much grieved and disappointed , and all declared that they knew nothing about the matter . ` Perhaps the rats did it , ' said Lewis , who was among the loudest to deny any knowledge of the tarts . ` No , rats would have nibbled crust and all , and never lifted it up and scooped out the fruit .
Hands did that , ' said Miss XXXXX , who was more troubled about the lie that some one must have told than about her lost patties .
Crane Daisy Ned Tommy White day gooseberries gooseberry pop-corn tarts