Casper Author:Anna Bartlett Warner Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: "You may have 'em," said Casper, holding out his great bunch of cowslips. Ruth set down her basket and took the flowers. " How pretty they are!" she said, ... more »" I'm very much obliged to you! Did you bring them for me?" "Yes," said Casper. "No I didn't either— you said your mother liked flowers." " 0 well, that's just as good," said little RutS smelling the cowslips,—" better too, I think.— You'll come in and see her to-day, won't you ?" " No I guess not," said Casper, whose boldness seemed to have left his hand with the flowers. " O yes you will," said Ruth,—" come !" and she took up her basket again and marched on; while Casper followed with doubtful steps. "Ruth!" he said, "stop!" . 4 And Ruth stopped and set down her bas "What's the matter1?" " I'm not going in," said Casper. " Let's go down to the' brook and play." "I can't," said Ruth. "Mother wouldn't like it. I must go now." And she turned and walked on. Casper walked after her, thinking to. himself that he might offer to carry that heavy basket of chips—that perhaps it wouldn't feel so heavy on his head as it was on her's—and at last that he didn't want to plague himself with it. " Do you never try to please other people?" the young lady had said to him. " Wouldn't you like to have somebody try to please you]" "Ruth," said Casper, "is your basket heavy?" " Pretty heavy," said Ruth, as her little bare feet went somewhat unsteadily over the rocks. " Well give it to me, and I'll carry it." " O thank you!" said Ruth, stopping short with a very bright face,—" that would rest me nicely. But I don't believe you can." "A boy can do as much as a girl," said Casper. " They're a great deal stronger. What i f have you done with your other straw hat?" " 0 that's for Sundays," said...« less