"For one cent, Bill," said he, "I'd wring your cussed green neck for you.

I'll bet a hundred you're the feller that's been a-doin' all this devilment.

Here you,--Susy--Airey,--have you seen Bill a-eatin' the ornyment ?" Both the young ladies solemnly and truthfully declared that they had never noticed any such thing; and pointed out that parrots, in their belief, did not eat candy.
The next day amputation and subtraction had proceeded yet further.
Only Bill was present when Arabella broke out into tears.
"What's the matter ?" asked stout-hearted Suzanne.
"Why, we--we--we--can't eat it but _once_," mourned Arabella.
"Now--now--now it's most _gone_! OO--oo--oo!" "It's good," said Suzanne.
"Will we go to the bad place ?" asked Arabella.
Suzanne evaded this question.

"How can we _help_ it, when it looks so pretty, and tastes so good?
They ought to put 'em in a _box_.

I c-c-can't help it!" And now tears broke from her eyes also.