Felix and I felt that it would really be worth while to offend her , just to be forgiven in such an adorable voice . Peter eagerly grasped her hand . `` I tell you what , Story Girl , I 'm awfully sorry I laughed in church , but you need n't be afraid I ever will again . No , sir ! And I 'm going to church and Sunday School regular , and I 'll say my prayers every night . I want to be like the rest of you . And look here ! I 've thought of the way my Aunt Jane used to give medicine to a cat . You mix the powder in lard , and spread it on his paws and his sides and he 'll lick it off , 'cause a cat ca n't stand being messy . If Paddy is n't any better to-morrow , we 'll do that . '' They went away together hand in hand , children-wise , up the lane of spruces crossed with bars of moonlight . And there was peace over all that fresh and flowery land , and peace in our little hearts . CHAPTER VI . THE MYSTERY OF GOLDEN MILESTONE Paddy was smeared with medicated lard the next day , all of us assisting at the rite , although the Story Girl was high priestess . Then , out of regard for mats and cushions , he was kept in durance vile in the granary until he had licked his fur clean . This treatment being repeated every day for a week , Pat recovered his usual health and spirits , and our minds were set at rest to enjoy the next excitement -- collecting for a school library fund . Our teacher thought it would be an excellent thing to have a library in connection with the school ; and he suggested that each of the pupils should try to see how much money he or she could raise for the project during the month of June . We might earn it by honest toil , or gather it in by contributions levied on our friends . The result was a determined rivalry as to which pupil should collect the largest sum ; and this rivalry was especially intense in our home coterie . Our relatives started us with a quarter apiece .
For the rest , we knew we must depend XXXXX our own exertions .
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