If you get tired of sitting at your desk, you may take your board and your chalk out to the door and sit upon the step.

You must spend all the time in making the letters on the board, and you may say _a_ and _b_ while you are making the letters, but besides that you must not speak a word.

For every time that you speak, except to say _a_ and _b_, after I tell you to begin, you will have to pick up a basket of chips." Picking up baskets of chips was the common punishment that Bella was subjected to for her childish misdemeanors.

There was a bin in the stoop, where she used to put them, and a small basket hanging up by the side of it.

The chip-yard was behind the house, and there was always an abundant supply of chips in it, from Albert's cutting.