Page:The book of Betty Barber (IA bookofbettybarbe00andr).pdf/17



“ is it?” said the Major.

“I think it’s a book,” said Good little Lucy.

“Pull it out, and let us have a look at it,” said Miss Crimson Lake.

And then the three pulled and tugged, scraped away dead leaves, pulled again, and at last, out of a hole at the foot of the hollow trunk of the tree came a book, quite small, rather old and torn, untidy inside and out, only a school exercise-book.

“H‘m, don’t think that is much of a find,” said Miss Crimson Lake, ”and look at my hands, I’ve made them so dirty.” She was a dainty young lady, dressed in the pinkest of pink dresses, but her cheeks were even pinker than her dress.

“It may be a great treasure,” said Lucy.

“It’s rather a stupid book, I fancy,” said the Major, “I don’t see a note of music in it.”

“Wait a minute, wait a minute,” said Lucy, who had been turning over the pages, “I believe it is a very interesting book, and a sensible one too. Listen to this, ‘All grown-up people are stupid.’”

“That sounds sensible enough,” said Major C.