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Alhtened up and shouted:

“I say, WHOSE BOSS ARE YOU?”

Eliza Jane gasped Then she cried out:

“You just wait, Almanzo James Wilder! You just wait till I tell Moth—”

Alht out of his hand It sailed past Eliza Jane’s head Smack! it hit the parlor wall

A great splash and sold wall-paper

Alice screamed Almanzo turned around and ran all the way to the barn He climbed into the haymow and crawled far back in the hay He did not cry, but he would have cried if he hadn’t been almost ten years old

Mother would come home and find he had ruined her beautiful parlor Father would take him into the woodshed and whip him with the blacksnake whip He didn’t want ever to come out of the haymow He wished he could stay there forever

After a long while Royal came into the haymow and called him He crawled out of the hay, and he saw that Royal knew

“Mannie, you’ll get an ahipping,” Royal said Royal was sorry, but he couldn’t do anything They both knew that Al, and there was no way to keep Father fro it So Almanzo said:

“I don’t care”

He helped do the chores, and he ate supper He wasn’t hungry, but he ate to show Eliza Jane he didn’t care Then he went to bed The parlor door was shut, but he kne the black splotch looked on the white-and-gold wall

Next day Father and Mother cao out to meet them with the others Alice whispered to him:

“Don’t feel bad Maybe they won’t care” But she looked anxious, too

Father said, cheerfully: “Well, here we are Been getting along all right?”