Callahan. A
neighbor told me you had been off with the children on an excursion."
When Mrs. Callahan dimpled and chuckled as she did now, she looked like
Peggy's older sister. "Peg told me Mrs. Flannagan went to you with that
tale. I cert'ny did fool her. Why, Miss Margery, I ain't been on no more
'scursions than this old machine settin' here. When I took Mrs.
Peckinbaugh's sewin' home, I carried the children with me, like she told
me, for her to see how I'd fixed the clothes she give me. She give us a
reception like the president's,--sandwiches and lemonade and iced cakes
and street-car fare back home. I laugh every time I think how I fooled
Mrs. Flannagan. I told her that bundle of sewin' was our lunch and
wraps. And she fool enough to believe me!" Mrs. Callahan laughed till
tears stood in her eyes.
"Mrs. Callahan, aren't you ashamed to tell falsehoods--and before your
little children, too? How can you expect them to believe you? And how
can you expect them to tell the truth when you set them such an
example?"
"Why, I wouldn't tell a lie to harm anybody for the world," said Mrs.
Callahan. "But there wouldn't be no fun in livin' if you didn't tell
white lies.
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