Free Betsy and the Boys by Carolyn Haywood Page A

them again. They both sat on Mother's bed, and Betsy chattered like a little magpie while Mother unpacked.
    Finally Betsy said, "Billy Porter is having a birthday party this afternoon."
    "He is?" said Mother. "Has Mrs. Beckett pressed your pink dress and did you buy a present for Billy?"
    "I'm not going," said Betsy.
    Mother turned away from the suitcase and looked at Betsy. "You're not going!" she exclaimed. "Why not?"
    Then Betsy told Mother what had happened on Valentine's Day. Mother sat down on a chair and listened to every word. When Betsy finished, Mother said, "Why, darling, I don't believe it."
    "But it's true, Mother," said Betsy.
    "I don't believe Billy did it," said Mother. "It isn't like Billy to do a thing like that."
    "Well, I know he did," said Betsy.
    "No, Betsy, you don't know that he did it.
You just think he did it," said Mother. "What you know about Billy is that he has always been kind and loving and generous, and you have to judge people by what you know about them, not by what you think about them."
    "Well, Mrs. Beckett said that I shouldn't have anything to do with him," said Betsy.
    "But Mrs. Beckett doesn't know Billy," said Mother. "You and I do. Now take your pink dress down to Mrs. Beckett and ask her to press it."
    Without a word Betsy went to her closet and took out her pink party dress. She carried it downstairs.
    Betsy had just given the dress to Mrs. Beckett when the doorbell rang. Betsy opened the door and there stood little Eddie. He was carrying a bundle, wrapped in newspaper.
    "Hello, Eddie!" said Betsy.
    "Hello, Betsy!" said Eddie. "I came over to see if you have an empty candy box."
    "I don't know, but I'll see," said Betsy.
    "I'll tell you what I want it for," said Eddie. "But it's a secret. You mustn't tell."
    Eddie began to giggle. "I'm going to play a joke on Billy," he said. "I've got some fish heads here and I'm going to put them in a candy box
and wrap it all up to look like a present and give it to Billy. He'll think it's a birthday present. Rudy did it on Valentine's Day, only Rudy said his box was for a girl." Eddie laughed. "I'll bet she was surprised when she opened that box."
    Betsy could hardly believe her ears. She stood as though glued to the spot. At last she found her voice and cried, "Eddie! Did Rudy do that?"
    "Yes," said Eddie. "I saw him. And they were my cats' fish heads and I had to go ask the fish man for some more."
    "Eddie," said Betsy, "that was a terrible thing for Rudy to do and you mustn't do it to Billy. That isn't at all funny. It's mean and cruel. You don't want to be mean and cruel, do you, Eddie?"
    Eddie looked very solemn and his eyes were big and round. "Oh, no," he said.
    "Well then, you take those awful fish heads home to the cats. Then come right back and we'll go out and buy Billy two nice birthday presents," said Betsy.
    Eddie dashed off like a jackrabbit and Betsy went upstairs to tell Mother the surprising thing that she had learned from Eddie.
    He was back in what seemed to be no time
at all, and the two children started for the shopping center of the town. When they returned, Eddie had bought a jigsaw puzzle and Betsy had bought an animal book for Billy's birthday present.
    Betsy put on her pink dress and Mother drove the two children to Billy's house.
    When Mrs. Porter opened the door, she said, "Why, Betsy! I'm so glad you came." Billy was right behind his mother and Mrs. Porter turned to him and said, "Billy, here are Betsy and Eddie."
    Billy said, "Hello!" and took the two packages the children held out to him. He said, "Thanks a lot."
    "Oh, Billy," said Betsy, "I'm so sorry I was mad at you. I thought you did something that you didn't do at all. I hope you will forgive me for being so horrid to you. Here's your valentine too."
    Billy's face grew red and he scuffed his toe on the rug and said, "Oh, sure, sure. Thanks." Then he yelled, "Come on, everybody, we're going to play consequences."
    Betsy's mother came for her when it was