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 Crane, who was more troubled about the lie that some one must have told than about her lost patties.

Well, they had supper and went to bed, but in the night Miss Crane heard some one groaning, and going to see who it was she found Lewis in great pain.